Crossing Paths
by Anne Fatalism Dilettante
Summary: Normality did not exist for Feldt, especially after she had met Setsuna. Together they have to unveil conspiracies, face adversities, and prevent each other from straying into the darkness. Mix of canon/AU. SetsunaxFeldt.
1. Conversation

**So...yes, I am going to try writing this pairing out. **

**The characters of Gundam OO belong to the rightful creator and not me.**

* * *

**Conversation**

* * *

Feldt Grace was _never_ a fan of large crowds.

She watched a group of scantily clad girls pass by, their laughter ringing out in octaves along the hallway. They resembled models that had stepped out of a fashion magazine – hair donned up and skin tanned to a perfect bronze, with heavy strokes of makeup that completed the supposedly glamorous, enticing look.

Feldt did not react as the girls paused for a double take. She did not even wince or bat an eyelid as they pointed at her hair and sneered. After all, she was used to this already. Feldt's bubblegum pink hair had always attracted unwanted attention, even since a young age. Everyone else had common-colored locks, thus she stood out like a sore thumb wherever she went. It did not help that Feldt was simply different, attitude and personality wise - she was not outgoing, obeyed the rules and was interested in unusual things.

One of the girls shot Feldt the middle finger. The rest of them snickered with contempt.

Feldt Grace decided that she would _never_,_ ever_ be a fan of large crowds.

She entered the university library. It was a bright day and most of the students were outside, taking advantage of the good weather to hang out and have fun. The ones who remained were either cramming for an upcoming quiz or rushing to meet assignment deadlines.

"Ah, Feldt, you've reached! I'm sorry if I called you out today for an extra shift…"

"No problem, Marie. I enjoy being a librarian. This place is my second home after all."

"It still is Saturday though…you could have been out there enjoying yourself. It's just that, I really couldn't cancel out on Allelujah…" Marie smiled apologetically at Feldt, hands tugging the hem of her dress nervously.

Feldt gave hera gentle smile. Marie and Allelujah had been inseparable ever since Allelujah, one of the most sought-after males had approached Marie in the library for some reading materials. Naturally, many had been flabbergasted over his choice, but Allelujah would have none of that. He wanted Marie, and that's all there was to it.

"Go for your date, Marie. Look, he's come to pick you up already."

Marie didn't need telling twice. She went over to Allelujah, who took her hand in his. Feldt watched as the two of them exited the library, chattering about plans for the day ahead.

And now, the library was once again, under her watch. Feldt took the job of a librarian very seriously – she remembered the case where Allelujah's twin brother, Hallelujah, had caused a ruckus. His anger over studies had made him set aflame a pile of books in the library – and Feldt had been the one to witness it all. They had lost quite a number of books, and it was the exam season too.

She sighed. Well, Hallelujah was nowhere near the library for now, and neither were the Trinity siblings, a devious trio who enjoyed picking on Feldt on a weekly basis. She supposed she could relax and have a good read on the latest technology news.

Feldt enjoyed technology. To be more specific, she enjoyed robotics engineering, which was the current course she was taking. She found herself not too bad in it, considering the fact that she ranked around tenth amidst the hundreds of male students.

"Hmm…where is it? I wonder…" The latest tech magazine should have been on this shelf, she thought. Could someone have taken it?

"Is this what you are looking for?"

The deep voice belonged to a male. Shocked, Feldt turned around so quickly that she stumbled and fell. A squeak was uttered when she saw who was the one speaking to her.

Setsuna F. Seiei, the top student of robotics engineering, was looking down at her impassively. He was often praised for his extensive research and creations, though Feldt was unclear on what exactly they were. One thing was certain, though – Setsuna was highly respected throughout campus by everyone, not only by the students, but also teachers as well. Sometimes officials from the government would drop by to have a word with him and on certain occasions, he would be on the news with some sort of breakthrough that brought mankind to yet another step forward. Feldt wasn't sure. The government never elaborated much on what breakthroughs were those, and she never asked Setsuna about it due to fear and respect.

"Is this what you are looking for?" He repeated, holding out the magazine to her.

Feldt realized she was still sitting on the ground. Silently scolding herself for her slow response, she quickly stood up.

"Y-yes! Thank you so much."

Stammering had to come now, of all times!

Of course, Feldt always saw Setsuna during lectures and field practice. They weren't friends, merely acquaintances that crossed paths now and then when it came to passing right equipments over during practical work. There was no conversation beyond that. She never initiated one, and neither did he.

He was handsome – she couldn't deny that. Setsuna's dark hair and middle-Eastern features, along with his well-toned body (Feldt blamed this knowledge on her observant skills and the tight suits they wore during practical work) made him a target of girls in the university. Setsuna never reciprocated any of their feelings, though – he was silent, hardworking, brilliant – and was a mystery to many. No one knew much about his personal background, and he never divulged any information on that topic.

Feldt realized that Setsuna was still staring at her. Flustered, she decided to begin a conversation.

"D-do you keep up with this magazine?"

"Yes."

"Do you find it interesting?"

Ugh, that's a silly question, Feldt Grace. Of course he would be interested!

"Yes."

"Uhm…it's a good magazine, isn't it?"

"Yes."

She was running out of things to ask already. Was there anything else that would result in a response from him other than 'yes'?

"Uh, you are Setsuna, aren't you? My name is…"

Before she could complete her sentence, he interrupted. "…Feldt Grace."

She blinked, surprised.

"…You know my name?"

He nodded. "Feldt Grace. Ranked tenth out of four hundred in robotics engineering. Your report on reactors came in third in the previous year's international technology challenge."

What? She had no idea that he actually remembered that!

He continued on. "Also once appeared on newspaper after successfully coding a sequence program for the Flag machines, was interviewed by major world figures like Graham Aker and Billy Katagiri..."

Feldt could not believe it. Here she was with Setsuna, someone who she rarely, no, practically never conversed with, and he was reciting out her details, achievements and awards.

"How…how do you remember all these things?"

Setsuna did not respond to the question. Instead, what came out was, "Are you going to take this magazine?"

Feldt realized that she had been so caught up in her thoughts that the magazine was still in Setsuna's hands. A blush crept to her face as she took it, noting how her fingers brushed his as she did. "Y-yes, of course I'm taking that!"

Without another word, Setsuna turned and walk away.

"Wait! Setsuna!"

He stopped in his tracks, prompting her to continue.

"I'll see you…in class?" Feldt asked, biting her lip.

Pause.

_"Yes."_

**

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**

I have a feeling that half of you all reading this was expecting Setsuna to help Feldt up when she stumbled and fell. :P Love takes time!

**Yes, there'll be a next chapter, if you're wondering. **

**Oh, I wonder about something btw. Is pink hair common in the US? Or at the other countries that you all are in? Cause if you had pink hair in my country, you REALLY get stared at. Blame it on the culture. :) **

**By the way, sorry if some scenes resemble more of a high school drama than anything else. I know all these "bully and causing trouble" stuff happen more in high school than university, but... :( Grrggh it had to be a university story due to the robotics engineering courses! **

**P/S : Besides, I'm not in university yet. I don't know how university students act like. :P **

**Come on, reviews make me happy! :D**

**-Anne**


	2. Curiosity

**A sincere thank you to all the favourites, the alerts and the reviews. It really made me happy and all! :) Anyway, here's chapter two. Sorry if it took some time, I hope you all like it! **

**Le gasp. I was actually planning just a simple love story...but somehow...it...evolved...and...now it has turned to...the pile of words below. [points and goes into spasms] Maybe I just can't write a love story without all the hardships, but hardships do make love rewarding after all. **

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**Curiosity**

* * *

Robotics engineering was basically the toughest course in university. Feldt often witnessed others dropping out when their creations or projects failed. Personally, she would never give up trying until hers worked.

Feldt wrestled with the hunk of metal, panting as the components refused to budge the way she wanted it to. She sighed. Robotics engineering was the path she had chosen and she was no doubt better in it than most of the other students, but that didn't mean that she had absolutely mastered it. There were still so many things to learn, she couldn't even compete with –

"Ah!" The wiring system had somehow managed to tangle itself up. There was nothing else she could do but untangle it.

There was just no end to this. It had been four hours already and Feldt was beginning to tire out. The other students around her were uttering curses every five seconds. Feldt wanted to do the same thing, however, she _did _promise herself once that she would never swear, and this was not a time to go back on promises – even more so a promise she had made to herself.

"Hey. You seem to be struggling. Need any help?"

Feldt jumped, not used to being interrupted while in the middle of work.

"Uhm…I guess I could…use some. Sorry, but you are…?"

He grinned, emerald eyes bright and lively. "Lockon Stratos. Nice to meet you."

Feldt watched intently as this helpful stranger tinkered and worked his way around without breaking a sweat. He was helpful, coordinated and from what she could see, highly skilled. How was it that she had not spoke to him before?

"Hmm. Well, what would you know," he gave a whistle, "I just noticed something decent in this nifty little thing you're building. In fact,_ someone_ would be quite interested to see this."

With that, he turned around and hollered, "Setsuna! Come here for a second, would you?"

Feldt's stomach did a little leap as the previous encounter she had with Setsuna flashed in her mind.

"Wait – you know Setsuna?"

"Sure, why not? Guy's a genius."

Before she could even come up with a response, Setsuna walked up, looking as impassive as ever.

"S-Setsuna!"

And that was all she could say.

"Feldt Grace, Lockon Stratos."

"You still greet people in that way by calling out their full names, huh?" Lockon cheerily pointed out.

Feldt searched Setsuna's face for any indication of emotion. There was nothing that she could detect and she frowned, slightly disappointed.

"Anyway," Lockon continued, "check out what Feldt's building. Reckon you'd take a fancy."

Setsuna said nothing for a moment, but proceeded to examine the complex mass of nanotubes, muscle wires and huge power supply bulks. He ran his eyes over each wiring connection, scanning meticulously, making silent evaluations.

Finally, he stopped and looked up, dark eyes boring into hers.

"This is to be part of a Flag machine."

Feldt nodded, pleased that he knew what it was to be built for. "Uh…yes, it is. I once wrote a sequence code for it – it was in the papers. Apparently it worked well and they've requested me to build a custom Flag machine. They want me to encode it with the same sequence code – kept saying that it would be major leap for machine development."

"Well, that really is impressive," Lockon said, smiling warmly.

"It's just sequence codes – nothing big. Besides, Setsuna has achieved so much more."

Setsuna didn't react to the compliment.

"The power supply."

"Uh…what about it?" Feldt asked warily.

Lockon shook his head and sighed. "Setsuna, you really have to speak in full sentences if you want to convey your thoughts on things. Well, Feldt, what actually struck our curiosity would be on the power supply." He tapped the massive metal bulks for emphasis. "This power supply – what does it run on? It doesn't look like it's built for regular power sources like hydraulics or pneumatics."

"Well…actually…" Feldt fidgeted, unsure of what she should say.

If she told them her ideas, would they _laugh_ at her?

She didn't want them to scorn or mock her like what the other girls always did – making fun of her pink hair, making fun of _her._

More importantly, she didn't want _Setsuna _to look down on her.

Feldt cleared her throat. She really had to stop these negative thoughts sometimes. "Well, actually, I might want to try something new."

They waited for her to continue.

"I was…thinking that I could…use something else as a power source. Hydraulics tend to be messy, and nuclear fusion isn't exactly convenient. In fact…I was thinking of making something different. Like, say, finding a new energy source that's less costly and more easily obtained," she blurted out, feeling heat on her cheeks and immediately realizing that she was blushing.

In fact, Feldt was waiting for the laughter, but none came. It took her a few moments to realize that Lockon Stratos and Setsuna F. Seiei weren't laughing, but were actually taking her seriously.

"I see. Well then, Setsuna…" Lockon shot Setsuna a look. Setsuna nodded back in silent agreement.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Feldt asked.

Now she was worried. Were they angry about something?

"Oh, you didn't! Trust me, your idea is refreshing."

Feldt gave herself a mental shake. She knew she must have said _something, _for Lockon's laughter sounded slightly strained and Setsuna's eyes, if possible, turned a shade darker. They burned with a gripping intensity – and Feldt felt as if she was being pulled into those dark, endless orbs.

"What's going on here?" A sharp voice interrupted. Their lecturer, Ms. Mannequin, stood there with a fierce glare. "You all have better get back to your assignments; lunch break won't be here for another half hour!"

"They were just giving me a hand, Ms. Mannequin," Feldt answered politely, looking away from Setsuna's burning gaze.

Ms. Mannequin's softened at the sight of Feldt. She didn't know why Feldt took up robotics engineering in the first place, but she imagined that it would be hard, being different from others. "Is that so? Well, in that case, do carry on, but be reminded that lazing off is not allowed."

When Ms. Mannequin was finally out of sight, Feldt turned to the two with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. Guess I have to continue working on with this."

She grabbed at some nearby tools and turned to her project, not wanting to face Setsuna – at least for now.

"Feldt Grace. Meet me at Room 703 after lecture."

With that, Setsuna walked away.

"W-what? Meet him? After lecture? At his room?"

Feldt certainly had no idea how to react to this. It was just too abrupt. Why was he doing this anyway? It didn't make sense. It wasn't like Setsuna to invite strangers over, not when he was classified as a solitary being.

Was he really _that_ angry after all?

"Trust me, Feldt, he's not mad at you," Lockon said with a reassuring laugh, seemingly being able to read Feldt's facial expressions. "There's just really something important that he wants you to know, that's all."

Feldt was skeptical. "It wouldn't hurt to tell me now, would it?"

"Privacy is necessary."

"What would be so important to require such privacy?"

"Tell me, Feldt – have you ever known exactly what Setsuna's breakthroughs were, about the _exact_ details of his achievements, his discoveries?"

Lockon was no longer laughing. It was a serious question, and one that Feldt considered deeply.

"…No," she said after a few moments of consideration. "I don't. In fact, no one really knows."

He winked. "Exactly. Now, there must be a reason for that, wouldn't you agree?"

"And how would my…project be related to all of these…?"

"Oh, it has _everything_ to do with it."

He walked away with a chuckle, leaving Feldt in a sea of confusion – and in a desperate need of answers.

_If Setsuna wanted to tell her something, she would definitely hear him out._

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**'M really sorry if this won't be turning out like a typical boy-meets-girls love story. ;x I decided to write something serious for this pairing after all, and though it doesn't seem very romantic for now, it will be. And, by the way, I'm not a robotics engineering student. Hell, I haven't even completed high school. So, apologies if some scientific terms are in the wrong placings - I tried to make it as realistic as possible. **

**Please read and review! It'd be much appreciated and would make my day go a whole lot brighter! ;) **

**-Anne**


	3. Shock

**This chapter took me quite some time to figure out - writing it was perhaps one of the most challenging tasks ever because the characters had to be in-character and I wasn't sure whether the pacing was all right or not. At any rate, I do hope you all enjoy it.**

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**Shock**

* * *

"I'm…I'm really sorry to trouble you!"

Marie watched with slightly raised eyebrows as Feldt apologized again and again, her bubblegum pink hair bobbing up and down as she did.

"Feldt, please, do stop apologizing like that. It's quite all right."

Feldt bit her lip, her expression worried and anxious. "I know…but it was supposed to be my shift in the library this afternoon…I just…"

"Well, you took over for me previously when I had a date with Allelujah. There's no problem, Feldt, please, don't worry yourself over this. Are you feeling unwell? You look uncomfortable and restless."

"No, uh…it's just that…well…well, actually…" Feldt squirmed, then blurted, "Setsuna asked me to meet him in his room!"

Marie just looked thoughtful and contemplative – as if she was just trying to figure out her day-to-day schedule instead of hearing an earth-shattering news that could potentially rock the entire female university population into pieces. "Really?"

Nod. "Yes."

"How did this happen?"

"We were having some practical work during robotics engineering earlier on. Lockon and Setsuna took a look at what I was building, and…I don't know, they noticed something about it and Setsuna asked me to meet him in his room."

"Hmm. Perhaps he just wanted to discuss something about your project."

Feldt sighed. "Perhaps so…"

"Still, come to think of it, I do remember Allelujah mentioning Setsuna's name once or twice before."

Feldt, who had her chin in her hands, perked up noticeably. "What did he say?"

"I recall him saying that Setsuna was somewhat unpredictable and hard to handle as he refused the norms of society – and that Setsuna recently made a huge discovery that could be life-saving and yet destructive – I'm not entirely sure…"

Unpredictable, hard to handle, someone that refused the norms of society – that was definitely Setsuna, all right. Feldt sighed and peered at the clock hanging nearby. "Oh, no! I'm late! See you later, Marie!"

As Marie waved, Feldt raced out of the library, knocking past several students. The glares shot at her way were vile, but Feldt was oblivious to that – her mind was on Setsuna, and only on him – especially when she remembered his intense expression during practical work earlier on.

_She couldn't seem to forget those dark, unfathomable orbs that seemed to burn like fire._

Feldt shook her head frantically and concentrated on finding his room first. 703, 703… That would be at the next block, wouldn't it? She picked up the pace; hoping Setsuna wouldn't be displeased at her unpunctuality.

"Feldt Grace."

Feldt swore she nearly had a heart attack. Setsuna was standing there, right in front of his room – waiting for her arrival. If he had not said anything, Feldt knew she would have run straight into him.

Setsuna blinked, awaiting a reaction from the panting girl in front of him.

"I'm sorry if I was late, Setsuna…I mean, y-you were waiting outside here for a long time, weren't you?

He didn't answer, but merely swung open the door of his room and entered, waiting for her to do the same. Feldt sighed, trailing behind. If Lockon had previously said that Setsuna wasn't mad at her, now he definitely was. What other reason could there be for his hostility?

Still, Feldt was aware of whose room she had just step into. An amused thought floated in her head – she knew just how many girls out there would be willing to be in her shoes now. She hesitantly peered around, wondering how Setsuna's room would be like.

What she saw _surprised_ her.

There were a few books and magazines stacked up neatly on a table. There was a laptop, a refrigerator, a closet, a single bed that was actually made – and that was it. There were no posters of any sort – Feldt remembered that Hallelujah used to boast to the whole world about the scantily-clad lady posters on his room wall – and yet Setsuna did not have any posters at all. There were no pieces of scattered papers, no empty drink packets, any guitars, skateboards or anything a regular boy would have in his room.

Setsuna's room was neat and simple.

Feldt frowned slightly. She didn't know why, but something was amiss. This room was too in-order, too proper – too _normal_. It just didn't feel right. But then again, who was she to judge? Perhaps Setsuna was just that sort of person that liked to putter around, put his things back into places where they belonged. She recalled Marie's words – _Setsuna refused the norms of society_ – was this what Allelujah had meant, or was there perhaps a deeper meaning to that phrase?

Feldt was still standing awkwardly as Setsuna hung up his coat and reached into the refrigerator for a drink.

"Sit."

"Uh…what? Here?" Feldt looked around. There was only a seat, and Setsuna was occupying it. The closest thing that she could sit on was the bed.

Setsuna's eyes flickered over the bed impassively. "You can stand if you want."

Feldt sat, wondering how on earth did she get into this terrifying predicament in the first place. Setsuna's lack of warmth was not doing anything to calm her anxiety. He still did not attempt to explain anything even after he had finished up. Feldt gulped and toughened her resolve – if he did not want to tell her, then she might as well ask.

"Why did you ask me to meet you here? Does it have something to do with what I was building, or were you offended by something I have said?"

"Yes."

"That I offended you?"

"No."

"On the thing I was building?"

"Yes."

Feldt sighed. Setsuna was definitely the hardest person she had ever tried to talk to. Even initiating a normal conversation was _this_ difficult.

"All right – what about my creation?"

Oh, she was expecting a dozen of different answers. Perhaps he wanted to borrow it for some research – or he wanted to tell her that seeking out a new energy source was impossible. Perhaps he wanted to help - though Feldt could not see how he would benefit in any sort of way by doing so.

"Feldt Grace. You are in danger."

Feldt looked up in shock and surprise. This was definitely _not_ an answer she expected. Still, she had no idea how to respond, so all she could muster up was, "Okay."

After a heartbeat, she asked, "Why?"

"You created the perfect sequence coding for the Flag machines."

"It wasn't perfect – it was just some improvements from the previous…"

Setsuna cut her off. "You are about to build a specialized Flag machine, while encoding it with the sequence code you perfected."

"It wasn't perfect," Feldt repeated tiredly. "And yes, I am about to do just that – is there a problem?"

"You also seek a new power source," Setsuna stated blandly.

Feldt stared. "Which I obviously haven't found – but I'm working on it, I assure you. I have been entrusted by Billy Katagiri and Graham Aker to build this. I enjoy it although it tires me, and they have promised me that I would be helping to bring mankind a step forward. I-I don't know why you say that I'm in danger, but I don't think I am in any form of vulnerability for now."

Setsuna opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the worst thing that could have happened decided to happen.

The crash was loud and unexpected, sending pieces of glass shards all over the floor as strong, steady gusts of wind from outside steadily blew in through the broken window, sending curtains billowing and magazines flying. Feldt gasped and bolted off the bed, the first instinct being to head to the door and be out of here. Something very wrong was happening, and she did _not_ want to be caught up in it at all.

However, before she could do that, Setsuna yelled authoritatively, "Get down!"

Feldt ducked abruptly as a shower of bullets whizzed past the spot where her head previously was. "Thanks, Setsuna!" she called, wriggling across the floor to hide behind the desk - _the door could wait. _

Setsuna gave her a quick glance. "Stay there," he commanded, as he reached into his pocket, and, to Feldt's amazement, pulled out a handgun and fired with skills that she had only seen in movies. Setsuna moved with a sort of predatory grace, knowing when to hide and fire. Feldt clapped her hands over her ears. The gunshots were piercingly loud. She prayed for everything to end and hoped that Setsuna would be safe.

She wanted to help him out, but what could she do? At this rate, she would only be a hindrance to him and –

"Hand the pink-haired girl over!"

Setsuna's reply was stoic. "No."

"You can't defeat us no matter how good you are, Setsuna F. Seiei! We've got the numbers! Just hand us the damn girl, and we might even consider sparing your life!"

"No."

And that was it. Setsuna was straightforward as that. He had not even bothered making any sarcastic, quirky comments. Would...would Lockon have? Feldt had to fight the urge to giggle, even though she knew it was wrong to do that now.

The shots continued, along with muffled curses, grunts and more sounds of glass shattering. Feldt's inappropriate giggles soon subsided, and now she was being disturbed by a new thought. This whole incident should have been loud enough to be heard by the residents of this dorm, the 7th dorm – and yet _no one_ was showing up. Hadn't anyone bothered to call security? What about the dorm leaders? Was everyone just turning a blind eye towards this, or perhaps…could this sort of incident be so common until no one decided to bother anymore?

That wouldn't make sense. Gunshots, breaking glass – there was no way these could be ignored so easily. Feldt shuffled forward a bit – the door was just slightly out of reach – if she made a quick run for it, then she could alert the others.

Feldt waited. Then, when she felt that the time was right, _dashed_. Setsuna whirled around to bark a warning, but it was too late.

"Hah, you should have just stayed down, pinky!"

Feldt did not remember feeling the pain, not even when the bullet struck her arm – but she did remember herself stumbling, the numbness that coursed through. Blinding white filled her vision as Setsuna threw a flash grenade in the air. Clearly, he had to change his plans now that she was wounded.

Then he was grabbing her uninjured arm, not roughly, but not entirely gently either. He was urging her up, and Feldt knew that she had to move before the effects of the flash grenade wore out. The pain was beginning to set in now, and Feldt had to bite her lips to stifle out the cries that were threatening to escape. Still, Setsuna seemed to know what he was doing. He supported her with an arm and fired shots in a distance with another – slowly, they inched past the room until they were met with a wall.

"Setsuna…w-what's going on?"

Setsuna did not reply. He was busy doing something complicated that involved murmured passwords and user identifications – and before Feldt could repeat her question, the wall slid apart and in they went into the darkness.

Feldt may have been in pain, but she was aware enough of her surroundings. The most obvious fact was that Setsuna had a secret base here, built within his room – just what secrets did he hold for something like this to exist? Had he always been prepared for attacks to happen? Feldt's head spun with the sheer amount of questions, and to make things worse, her injured arm felt like it was on _fire._

For now, there was silence as Setsuna supported the most of her weight as they continued the walk into the darkness.

"W-where are you taking me?"

As expected, she was met with silence – but Setsuna did answer after some consideration.

_"My world."_

* * *

**I hope this did not appear too rushed or squeezed. This is also my first action scene - hope it turned out all right. (: **

**Reviews appreciated! Please drop a thought to help me improve. (:**

**-Anne**


	4. Truth

**Here's the fourth chapter! Hopefully, dear reader, you'll find it satisfactory. Keeping Setsuna in-character is one of the biggest challenges ever, I swear. **

* * *

**Truth**

* * *

Feldt found out that being shot in the arm really _hurt. _

She and Marie often holed up in their dorm rooms, watching movies. Marie was soft-spoken, sure, but she practically glowed in delight every time she watched a decent action film.

Feldt remembered how the actors would dive out of the way like acrobats to dodge bullets. Even if they were shot, they would continue running, swearing, and retaliating. It had seemed simple and painless enough.

But this wasn't a movie. This was reality, and Feldt was living it.

Well, _hurt_ was an understatement. The pain was so intense that tears were threatening to spring from the corners of her eyes. No, she wouldn't cry – she vowed not to, especially not in front of Setsuna.

He was still supporting the most of her weight as they hurried on forward. Feldt realized that exhaustion was taking over. Would she faint and end up embarrassing herself? Dizziness overwhelmed her, and all sorts of irrelevant thoughts rushed into her mind. Would she ever be able to stop the taunting from others, the malicious looks they shot at her way? Jeering, jeering…at her pink hair, the hobbies she had, everything she did...

She giggled. Setsuna towed her along even harder, and Feldt finally felt her knees give way.

"Stop laughing. You'll asphyxiate."

Hearing him say that in all seriousness just made Feldt's inappropriately-timed giggles continue. She paused, gasping for breath. "It's just a shot to the hand, Setsuna. This shouldn't be a big deal, but I guess me being a first-timer and all…"

He didn't bother replying her. They had reached a medical room of some sort, and it was white, with a sterile smell to go along with it. Setsuna set her down on the bed and moved around quickly, shifting medical tools with efficiency.

Something cold touched the wound and Feldt jumped. It was medical alcohol. Setsuna was cleaning up the wound.

"Is it...bad?"

"Regular gunshot wound," Setsuna said brusquely. "The bullet inside has to be removed."

He put on a pair of medical gloves and reached for a pair of tweezers. Feldt bit her lip as she felt the tweezers move through layers of damaged skin and muscle before retreating along with a shiny blood-stained bullet.

"You...you seem very familiar with this."

"Quite. I've been through some rough times, and have learnt a lot since then."

That was probably the first complete sentence she had heard from Setsuna and she wondered what that meant.

"Ouch."

Setsuna was now stitching her wound meticulously. He paused at her complaint. "You need it," he said, continuing without any other reassurance.

Feldt bit down hard on her lip as the final stitches were made. Without wasting a moment, Setsuna wrapped the wound carefully with bandages, his fingers light and movements precise. She shivered a little as those fingers danced across her arm in deft, swift motions – calm, patient and controlled.

She was still alive, at the very least.

"So…what exactly is going on? Where is this place?" Feldt, in all curiosity, stood up to inspect the room.

Setsuna laid a hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be moving."

She looked up into his dark eyes, remembering that he had saved her life. How could thanking him slip through her mind? "I…okay. Setsuna, thank you for..."

He waved off her thanks and extended a hand.

"Wait, Setsuna, you just told me that I shouldn't be moving."

"I will watch over you," was his simple reply. She blinked, surprised at the intensity in his voice, the determination in it. Feldt hesitated. Finally, she took his hand, and they moved forward at a slow, steady pace.

Feldt decided to try again. "What is this place for?"

This time, he told her.

"All my work is done here. Few know about it."

That explained it. No wonder Setsuna's room was abnormally tidy – he had _another_ place that belonged to him. Feldt gasped as they entered a long hallway that resembled the university's hangar. Multi-colored mobile suit components were scattered everywhere, and a few fully-built ones stood magnificently, glinting under the glare of lights.

It was a fully functional lab. Feldt had no idea how Setsuna had managed to conceal this secret for such a long time. She didn't even know how he managed to get this place up and running in the first place.

She gestured to the mobile suits. "Did you…make all these?"

"Yes."

A particular suit stood out with its flamboyant colors, one that looked further equipped than the others. Feldt ran her fingers over the smooth metal, murmuring as she did.

"Beam sabers, recoil-less cannon blasters, excellent for long ranged combat…rocket launchers…" She looked up in awe. "Setsuna, how…? I mean, it's impossible to fit this many weapons on a regular mobile suit. There's just no way. Even a high-powered power source wouldn't be able to support this, not to mention the amount of coding needed to invent a proper operating system for it…"

Setsuna waited patiently, knowing that Feldt Grace would come to an understanding soon. And of course, she did.

"Wait a second…a new power source. That was what they've been praising you on about, and that was the reason why you all were so interested in what I was working on. I told you all that I was looking for a new power source, and you actually found one…which was able to operate this suit you invented." The gears in Feldt's mind spun frantically as she rattled on. "There's people out to kill me, that much is obvious…but...why? Was it because of my work? Assassins sent by people against Billy Katagiri and Graham Aker? Someone that wanted to stop me from developing advanced Flag machines? Someone that has a personal grudge against me?"

She realized she was babbling and quickly shut up, pink spreading across her cheeks.

"You're wrong on the last few parts."

"I am? So…you're saying that these assassins are sent by people that work _with_ Billy Katagiri and Graham Aker?" She paused. "Wait, so it isn't someone who just hates my _pink_ hair?"

Nod.

Her verdant eyes went wide and round. "Eh? But I'm on their side!"

"Not anymore. You are now seen as a threat."

Feldt was becoming impatient. None of these was making any sense. The stitches on her arm were stinging, and all the exhaustion of the past hour was creeping up on her. "Come on, Setsuna! Please, you have to start telling me what's going on. I'm never going to figure things out if you continue giving me cryptic messages!"

Setsuna stared at her, his expression unfathomable.

Feldt sighed.

"I could have died out there, but here I am. Can't you at least tell me a little?"

Instead of answering her, Setsuna popped open the hatch of the well-equipped mobile suit and motioned for Feldt to follow him inside. She had no idea what he was up to now, but followed him nevertheless. The cockpit was tiny, but large enough for two people to be in. She sat down and observed in silence as Setsuna powered up the engine, hearing the familiar bleeps of machinery and watching colorful control lights glowing.

"What's this new power source you discovered?"

"GN particles," Setsuna answered. "Disrupts enemy radar, provides barriers, used in propulsion and also for weight reduction. The beam saber itself consists of GN particles, and it cuts through even the most durable battleships and mobile armor. I haven't finished exploring what else it can do. The possibilities are endless."

Feldt mouthed that word silently, contemplating what he had just said.

"Many have been intending to use us for twisted purposes," Setsuna said quietly. "I realized something was amiss when they refused to let me go public with my discovery of a new power source. When they contacted you to build a Flag Machine, I knew they intended your work to be used alongside with mine. They wanted to build a perfect Flag Machine with the succesful sequence coding you wrote, powered by the GN particles I discovered. They did not want us to meet and correspond. Now that we have, they have decided to eliminate you."

Feldt stared, dumbfounded by this new information. "That's stupid. We're in the same university, and we even share the same classes! Of course we would meet!"

"Feldt Grace. Understand that your elimination wasn't in their original plan. They have just realized that I know what their true intentions are, and they know that I would do anything to stop them. To stop their plans, I would have to stop you, and to stop you, you would have to know the truth. They decided that it would put them at too much of a risk once you knew. They cannot kill me yet as I have not served their purpose, but they _can_ kill you. A replacement to continue the coding you have started wouldn't be hard to find. I built this GN particle powered mobile suit, and they would do anything to get their hands on it."

Feldt gaped, firstly because of this so-called "truth", and secondly due to the full sentences he had used. It was a lot to take in, and she didn't know what to make do with it.

"What if you're lying? What if...what if you're the one who wants me dead instead? You could be the one s-setting this up…"

His gaze was hard. "It is your choice to believe or not to believe, but know that I will kill you if you stand in my way."

Feldt could sense the truth behind his words. Being shot by Setsuna, she decided, wouldn't be comfortable at all – though she knew that many females would gladly allow him to do so if they could have a chance to have a close-up glimpse of his face before they died.

It looked like she had to change the topic. She didn't want to die, not when she was just saved.

"What do they intend to do with this…super…Flag Machine?"

Setsuna stared at her as if the answer wasn't obvious enough.

"Domination."

_Domination._

The word rang in Feldt's head repeatedly. She knew that humans often fought wars to attain power in the past, so why should she be surprised now?

It had just been too sudden. Up until now, Feldt's life was considerably…boring. Her life was a constant routine. Classes, library duties, hanging out with Marie, meeting an official or two, getting requests from important figures, completing those tasks…and that was it. Meeting Setsuna had signified a huge turning point in her life, and she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse. Strangely, she felt no fear – only a strong resilience. Feldt wouldn't let them get to her so easily, and Setsuna…what was he going to do?

As if reading her mind, Setsuna spoke up. "Feldt Grace. You are not to be alone at all times. You shall be escorted to classes and any extra-curricular obligations you have, and you will reside here instead of your dorm room from now onwards. You shall not speak about this to anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes."

"Rest here. Your belongings can be moved later."

"Setsuna…uh…may I ask you a question?"

He waited.

"Why…why are you doing so much for me? It would have been much easier if I was killed off by those assassins in the b-beginning…"

"Feldt Grace. There is nothing wrong with your pink hair."

Feldt gaped as she watched Setsuna walk away, feeling unusually shy even in a crisis like this. She patted her pink hair dolefully, knowing that it was in a ragged mess right now.

Life from now onwards was never going to be the same.

* * *

**If you're confused about this "pink hair" sentence from Setsuna, then you'll have to look up at the part where Feldt says, "Wait, so it isn't someone who just hates my pink hair?" **

**:) Please, read and review. I hope Setsuna didn't seem OOC or anything. He had to speak in full sentences, otherwise no one would ever be able to understand! :D **

**-Anne**


	5. Anticipation

**I swear I've never forgotten about this story, it just so happened that my schedule's been really tight these few months. Anyway, here y'all go, after a long wait - chapter five! **

**P/S : To the people who have been supporting this story all along, thank you! What would I do without all of you? :)**

* * *

**Anticipation**

* * *

Feldt Grace realized that she was, once again, alone with Setsuna.

It had been quite a taxing day. Moving her belongings around had been challenging, and having an injured arm that couldn't seem to stop aching didn't help. Feldt was glad that she wasn't one to live lavishly – it resulted in only a minimum amount of shoes and clothes to move around. Fair enough. However, contrary to the others, she had an enormous book collection. As much as she loved them, moving them out of her room had been quite difficult.

Thankfully, Lockon had extended a hand – seeing as one of hers was injured of course - and had been a great help. Somehow, he understood her situation. Setsuna had probably mentioned it to him.

Explaining her situation and injuries to Marie were by far the worst thing, though.

In simple terms, Marie had reacted – and Allelujah had been there to see it all.

"_Feldt! How careless could you be, to trip and fall over such a sharp shard of glass?" _

_Feldt faked a sheepish laugh. "Well, you know what it's like – sometimes drunk students throw their glass bottles around, and I happened to be in a rush after all. It was just an accident, Marie. Setsuna helped me out." _

_Marie frowned and temporarily released her hold on Allelujah's fingers to inspect Feldt's bandaged arm. Feldt stood still, hoping Marie wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. The blood had all been washed off, and the stitches were supposed to hold. No one should be able to see the actual injury under the many layers of bandages. As long as Feldt stuck to her "tripping and falling on a piece of glass" story, she knew that people would believe her. _

_Allelujah smiled at Feldt kindly. "Did the two of you get along?" _

"_E-eh? Yes, we did. It was just a simple p-project discussion. Nothing major!" Feldt felt bad for lying to the both of them, but there was no other choice. The less people who knew the actual situation, the better. _

_And now, it was time to drop the bomb. "Marie, I'm moving out to another room." _

_Marie's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Moving out…? Why?" _

"_Be-because...well, a student with some…disabilities is transferring over, and my room's the closest to the labs and dining area!" Feldt stammered, remembering that she hadn't come up with a proper lie for this yet. Well, this would have to do for now. Besides, it wasn't entirely untrue. Feldt's room was indeed the most strategic place when it came to efficient day-to-day activities._

_Marie and Allelujah widened their eyes simultaneously. "Really? When is this new student coming? We should help him!" _

_Feldt groaned inwardly. Trust herself to come up with such a lie. _"_Uh…I don't know. Maybe next week…or next month…I'm really not sure. Well, I have to move my stuff now. See you two later!" _

Feldt shook her head, wondering how she was going to smooth this issue out. Thank goodness Marie had not asked where her new room was. There was no way she could tell Marie that she was living with Setsuna now. Too many questions would be asked, and the whole issue would just complicate itself.

She'd figure out how to handle Marie later, though. For now, there were other more pressing issues to handle.

Like getting to know Setsuna and his projects more, for instance – or perhaps unpacking her things and getting used to this new room of hers.

Feldt quite liked this new room. It was large, and was equipped with a simple bed. There weren't any dressers or cupboards, but hey – she didn't mind. Safety was more or less guaranteed here, and that was all that mattered.

Feldt cast a wary glance and realized Setsuna was still standing there. Unpacking now while he was here would be awkward, and she supposed she could do it later.

Hesitantly, she voiced her request. "Setsuna…? Will you tell me more about the new power source you discovered, the…GN particles?"

"Not now," he replied curtly. "Sleep. It will help you recover."

"But…"

"You are injured, and need rest."

Feldt refused to let the exhaustion show on her face. "I feel fine, thank you."

Setsuna fell silent, giving her a piercing, searching stare.

"Rest."

Again with the one-word sentences. Feldt gave up and rolled onto the bed, careful not to hurt the injured spot. "Alright. I'll rest for a little while – but will you _please_ answer my questions later?" Without waiting for a reply, she used her uninjured arm to reach for the blankets. They were folded up neatly in a little square pile, and unraveling them single-handedly took quite an effort.

She felt an arm push her – gently, she noticed – back onto the bed. Feldt blinked as Setsuna took charge and spread the blankets over her, avoiding any eye contact with her as he did. The exhaustion was overwhelming - Feldt could already feel the darkness take over her.

"I will."

* * *

"Unacceptable!"

"Relax, Tieria. Pipe down a little – you'll wake Feldt up."

A hiss. "How does one 'relax', as you so casually put it, when we have an extra unwanted burden on our hands now? Setsuna's actions have been more brash than logical!"

"Define 'logical', Tieria. Would you have preferred if the enemy got their hands on her? It would be safer to have her on our side. She won't lose her life, they won't be able to extract any additional information from her, and they can't use her against us. Think about it."

Feldt yawned sleepily and stretched. She sat up, blinking wearily. The room was empty. How long had she been asleep?

She paused, listening carefully to the voices arguing outside her room. It sounded like Lockon's voice – but who was the other one arguing with him? Slipping out of the bed, Feldt made her way towards the door, placing her ear against it.

"She knows the secret of the GN particles," the unfamiliar voice stated flatly.

"And she should, seeing as she's involved in this already."

"She should never have been involved in the first place!"

"It would only be a matter of time, Tieria. Speaking of which," Feldt heard a rustle, "It's dinner time. I brought food along. We should probably wake Feldt up."

Before Feldt could react, the door clicked open. Feldt gasped, scooting backwards just in time before it came into contact with her face. The last thing she wanted was to have a bruise on her face when she already had one on her arm.

Two pairs of eyes stared down disbelievingly at her. One was in a familiar shade of emerald; one was in a shocking hue of garnet.

"L-Lockon, I-I…" Feldt stuttered, unsure of what to say.

He smiled warmly, ignoring the fact that she was obviously listening to their argument. "Hey, Feldt. How're you feeling?"

"Uh, I feel fine," Feldt said, accepting his extended hand with a small thanks. She observed how the person that stood beside Lockon frowned in disapproval. A pair of glasses perched on his pale nose, and his purple hair reached the base of his neck.

"How much did you hear?" he demanded, glaring at her.

"I brought you dinner. Do you like mashed potatoes?" Lockon asked, ignoring Tieria's protests. Feldt smiled and nodded, following them out.

"Where's Setsuna?" Feldt asked, swallowing a mouthful of mashed potatoes. The warm food felt good to her stomach. She blinked in surprise, not realizing that she was _this_ hungry.

Lockon chuckled. "He's probably tinkering around in the hangar again. I'll go get him. He works hard, loses track of time, and misses his meals often. It's a wonder his body isn't in a mutiny yet."

Dinner was surprisingly a pleasant affair. Lockon had dragged a dust-covered, grease-coated Setsuna out of the hangar, and shoved a bowl of food before him. Setsuna hadn't said anything but ate silently, his eyes lingering on Feldt's from time to time.

Later on, Lockon formally introduced Tieria to Feldt.

"Feldt, this is Tieria. Tieria Erde. He's the dorm leader of block seven, and is one of the best when it comes to gathering information. No one suspects him of doing anything related to us."

"Nice to meet you," Feldt said, bowing politely.

Tieria only scoffed. "I see no reason to treat you differently, Feldt Grace. Setsuna and Lockon may be soft and protective towards you, but mark my words – I have no desire to do the same. If your stupidity puts you in danger, they will be the one to suffer the consequences along with you."

"Harsh," Lockon said, grinning. He patted Feldt's shoulder, shooting Setsuna a meaningful look as he did. "No worries, Feldt. That's how Tieria is. Everything will be sorted out in the end, so just lie low for a little while with us. In the meantime, I assume you still have some unanswered questions…?"

Feldt straightened and glanced at Setsuna, whose dark eyes were fixated on her. Without a word, he stood up, tossing the finished packet of food into the trash and walked out.

Was his backward glance an indication that she should follow him…?

Feldt stood up. "Wait up, Setsuna!"

Lockon glanced at the two retreating figures, shrugging and chuckling to himself.

Tieria ignored them and continued to finish his food. What the two of them did together was none of his concern.

* * *

Feldt watched carefully as Setsuna powered up the mobile suit that he had been working on. It excelled in terms of its functions and build, but she hadn't seen the capabilities of these…GN particles yet. _What exactly were they?_

"They'd want to seize this from you, wouldn't they?"

Setsuna nodded.

"These GN particles…what on earth are they?"

"I'll show you," Setsuna said simply. He pressed a button, and Feldt stared in amazement as an opening appeared above them – revealing the inky night sky.

"Strap in."

Feldt obeyed. "S-Setsuna, if you fly this out, what if other people…?"

"Tieria has taken care of it. He has connections to any necessary government officials that are on our side, and is a skilled hacker and manipulator. Everything is secure."

Feldt wondered how such a bad-tempered person could get along with the upper echelons of the government officials. At the same time, she felt a sudden wave of fear grip her. All her life, she had been calculating, planning and building machines for others. However, she had never flew in one before. What if something happened?

Sensing Feldt's underlying anxiety, Setsuna turned to face her. "You wanted answers, and you will somehow get them through this. Everything has been fine-tuned, and I will not let you be in danger, do you understand?"

Feldt wanted to hit herself. How could she doubt Setsuna, when she had seen him willingly risk his life to save her?

"Do you trust me?" Setsuna asked.

It was an unexpected question, one that made her abruptly turn as pink as her hair.

Feldt would not doubt him.

_"Yes."_

He nodded in satisfaction, and soon enough, they were speeding off into the night.

* * *

**Feldt is going to get her 'answers'. A simple flight with Setsuna, how's that going to change them? **

**Spoiler : Remember what GN particles does to people in the anime? **

**Anyway, how'd I do in this chapter? Please review! **

**- Anne**


	6. Approach

**Here's chapter six of Crossing Paths! More Feldt and Setsuna goodness for those who've been looking forward to it. Unlike how godly they made Setsuna to be in some series of the anime, I prefer portraying a more 'realistic' Setsuna here, in a sense that he has his weaknesses, and hasn't found out everything/has stuff he doesn't know about yet. And just a reminder - technically, he was the one who discovered the GN Particles in this story, the enemies haven't found out much about it yet. Enjoy!**

**P/S : Thank you to all reviewers, I love you all! And to those who gave me some info about the GN Particles/Drives, thank you so much too! **

**Note to XoreandoX : I wasn't aware that dyed her hair, but her pink hair gave me the inspiration for this story. ^^" That said, thanks for telling me. One of the major themes in this story is how Setsuna doesn't stereotype against her or anything and accepts her for who she is - and the pink hair issue plays a part.**

* * *

**Approach**

* * *

Feldt had never flown on a mobile suit before – and the thought of her being in one, especially with Setsuna as the pilot, was something that she never would have believed in the past. She fought back a wave of nausea as the mobile suit continued its ascent, gripping the sides of her seat tightly. _If this was flying, she certainly didn't like it too much._

Setsuna seemed to sense her discomfort. "It will subside," he said dispassionately, focusing on his task of piloting the suit they were in. "Close your eyes and breathe."

Oh, he made it sound so easy. Feldt followed his advice, hoping that she wouldn't throw up. It was the last thing she needed. She recalled an incident where Hallelujah had slammed his twin's head into a paper bag – it was a sturdy one used for groceries, and Feldt wouldn't have minded if she had one just like it now.

For, you know, just in case.

Finally, the mobile suit leveled off, and the flight continued smoothly. She snapped her eyes open, only to see Setsuna gazing at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

At the very least, the nausea was gone. "Yes." She hesitantly peered out of the glass panes, only to gasp in awe. "It's beautiful!"

And it was. The lit buildings below them glowed brightly amidst the darkness in a shade of yellow and white, with occasional green and red hues coming from several specially-lit structures. Once in a while, Feldt would catch a glimpse of pale aquamarine, and knew that it came from lit swimming pools. It was a sight to behold.

"You haven't flown on a mobile suit before." It was not a question – it was a statement.

Feldt bowed her head slightly. "Never. In all my life, my job was to program and occasionally, build – but not to _fly._ I did consider learning up the ways of piloting a mobile suit, but it would take up too much time – time which I did not have." She smiled whimsically, then continued, "Besides, staying in the lab all day wasn't so bad. I love machinery, and being able to help program one made all the long hours worthwhile. I got a break by going to the library sometimes, being a librarian was quite fulfilling too."

She laughed a bit, thinking about the long hours she used to clock – _alone _– in the lab room. It was always quiet, cool, and sterile. Marie had to remind her that she needed some sleep, and was the only one who came around to check up on her well-being.

* * *

_Feldt looked up, startled, as she heard three raps on the door. _

"_Feldt," Marie's muffled voice came through, "It's dinner time. I brought you some food."_

_Feldt entered the access code and watched as the door unlocked itself, allowing Marie in. "I'm sorry for troubling you again, Marie." _

_Marie smiled kindly. "It's alright." She turned to survey the complicated mesh of machinery Feldt had been working on, brow crinkling slightly. "Hard day?"_

"_Not really," Feldt said. Well, to be honest, Feldt was exhausted – but there was no way she was going to worry Marie over that. _

_Marie had brought over the regular cafeteria food – cafeteria food which many students had come to loathe, but for now it felt heavenly to Feldt. The lab was always so chilly – and the warm food was a pleasant welcome.  
_

_Marie observed how Feldt ate hungrily, noticing how pale she was. There were even subtle signs of eye bags beginning to form underneath Feldt's usually-bright emerald eyes._

"_You're working too much." _

_Feldt paused between a spoonful of soup. "I'm fine, Marie."_

"_But you've been at this for so many hours already! You say that you rest, but I know that you head out to the lab deep in the night after only a two hour nap – and then you head to classes straightaway in the morning, only to continue working again in the afternoon!" Marie exclaimed. "Even the best students need to rest a little more, Feldt. Why not have some proper sleep tonight?" _

"_I can't, Marie," Feldt said with a sigh, looking downcast. "I can't stop just yet." _

_Marie bit her lip, looking at Feldt seriously before popping a question she had wanted to ask for a long time. "Why do you try so hard, Feldt?"_

_Feldt stiffened a bit before turning her frown to an easy-going, teasing smile. "What do you mean? Isn't it good for students to be hardworking?" _

"_Now isn't the time for jokes, Feldt. You know what I mean. This isn't just about being hardworking or not, you're starting to be obsessed with this whole robotics engineering business. Why, Feldt? I know I've only known you for a few months ever since we became roommates, but I'm worried about you! You've even skipped librarian duties for many weeks already!" _

_Feldt had no idea how to respond to Marie's sudden outburst. _

_She obsessed herself over this, because it was the only thing she could do. There was nothing else she could look forward to. Her family had passed away that few weeks ago – and ever since then, all she wanted to do was work, work – and work. _

_When Graham Aker and Billy Katagiri had approached her to ask her to build a superior Flag machine, she had not hesitated in saying yes._

_Feldt didn't want to think about the deaths of her parents so much, but at the same time she wanted to make them proud. _

_There was nothing else to look forward to – nothing she could really say. _

_Everything was so empty for her at that time.  
_

_Until she had met Setsuna._

* * *

"You're crying."

Feldt gave a tiny squeak, frantically rubbing her eyes with her fingers – dismayed that there were indeed tears there. "H-how did you know?"

He gave an indifferent shrug.

"What about you, Setsuna? Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?" Feldt asked.

However, before he could respond, a beep sounded. Setsuna pushed a button and a mini-screen popped up. It was Tieria, a glare plastered on his face as usual.

"Setsuna, we have trouble."

Feldt leaned over, only to see Setsuna's shoulders tense and him asking, "What is it?"

"There are four Realdos heading over your way. They'll be within firing range in 0025."

Feldt sat up straighter. The Realdos were more commonly used by the Union but had mostly been replaced by Flags after they were invented. It seemed that they had been spotted – and the two of them were more or less wanted people, weren't they? Not to mention that this suit wasn't one to blend into the inky darkness of the sky.

"They could have sent out the Flags," Feldt ventured thoughtfully. "The VMS-15 Union Realdos are outdated models that can't compete with the Flag at all."

Tieria wouldn't want to admit it, but if this girl had noticed something like this, then it would mean that she wasn't quite the scatterbrain that he thought she was. "They want to gauge the combat level of this new suit first. Sending in all their new suits would be risky," he explained. "At any rate, Setsuna, it would be prudent for you to resolve the issue and return as quickly as possible."

"Roger," Setsuna said, cutting off the communication.

Feldt squirmed in her seat. "Resolve the issue? How do we do that, Setsuna? Do we negotiate with them?"

What happened, however, was one of the most amazing things Feldt had ever seen. Setsuna fiddled with the controls, swinging the suit around and charged forward. Soon enough, she saw them – the Realdo suits. The four of them fired simultaneously, not even bothering to open a communication channel with Setsuna. Feldt watched with fascination as Setsuna steered the suit with a sort of flexibility that none of the other students had, firing with precision as he did.

One by one, the suits were shot down.

"Targets eliminated."

"Setsuna…" Feldt started out, unsure of what to say. While she was in awe over Setsuna's abilities, she was very aware that he had just killed four pilots. He had shot them down, like how bowlers bowled pins over with a huge bowling ball. The suits had just exploded into flames in the night sky, leaving nothing behind - not even the remains of the pilot.

"_Do you trust me?"  
_

He had asked her that question before they had set out, and Feldt had said yes. She didn't doubt him, of course. He had saved her life.

But now he had killed without even blinking. And those skills! Where did he learn up all of these from? They definitely weren't part of the curriculum!

Feldt trembled. Setsuna…just who _exactly_ was he?

Setsuna fired more shots into the distance – revealing more incoming mobile suits. Feldt gaped when she realized that these were higher-leveled suits – Flags, even Tierens. She tried to count – six, seven, no, wait – there were almost fifteen of these monsters – and it seemed that even more were coming. Feldt realized that they were trying to overwhelm the mobile suit that she and Setsuna were on – and with numbers that great, they could potentially succeed.

Were they just trying to see the suit's response to high enemy numbers – or was there another motive involved?

"Setsuna!" She cried out as he fought with a seriousness she had never seen before. His dark eyes were feverish, and sweat was trickling down his brow.

He was trying hard, Feldt knew. She watched as he whipped out beam sabers, beam daggers, blades and shields – which she assumed were powered by these so called GN Drives. Setsuna was doing quite a good job so far, but how long could he last?

Setsuna gritted his teeth.

"Trans-Am!"

And then the world exploded in white.

* * *

Feldt was aware that she was floating blissfully without the need for support.

There were lights all around them – brilliant white ones, and there were some in the most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen. They seemed to envelop and caress her bare body – and the strangest thing was that she didn't feel any embarrassment at all.

_Feldt._

It was Setsuna, who was not too far away from her.

_Setsuna? _

Only then did Feldt realize that she wasn't speaking, and neither was he. They were communicating telepathically. And that was when Feldt also knew that there was nothing that could be hidden from him – just like how he couldn't hide anything from her in this unknown place.

She could sense his emotions - something she normally would've never been able to do. It was always hard to read him, but now...

_Why were you crying? _Setsuna asked._  
_

Flashbacks involuntarily shot out – flashbacks of her in the lab, clocking long hours – trying not to think about the death of her parents. She showed him how she was constantly picked on by everyone, how all she could do was smile and accept it - how there was nothing that could be done but to forcefully move on forward, without even having the chance of letting go.

_You were lonely._

_Yes,_ Feldt thought. She was so very lonely – and she couldn't tell Marie about it, because…because –

_You didn't want her to be worried_, Setsuna thought.

And he was right, of course. She didn't even need to tell him anything - he just knew.

There was a pause, then Feldt blinked in surprise – Setsuna was sending _his _memories and flashbacks to her.

_I was raised in the Republic of Krugis, and eventually joined the anti-government guerrilla organization – KPSA. There were wars …death…gunshots…blood. Wrong…it was all wrong._

From there onwards, Setsuna's thoughts weren't so organized anymore.

_You were a child soldier, _Feldt thought in horror. Of all Setsuna's pasts she could think of, this was the last thing she had expected.

She saw a child-like Setsuna, pointing his gun at his parents and shooting – saw him running in a vast, empty desert with nothing but a shotgun, tears streaming down his face – saw him curse at God, saw him using explosives, hurting and killing at that young age - and saw him retreat into himself, refusing to believe in war. She saw him grow up in that environment of hatred, with nothing he could hang on to - for he had nothing to lose in the first place.

Feldt could feel his hurt, sorrow, and from there – a burning determination to stop war and bring peace to everyone.

She saw him work, infiltrate, and discover. She watched as he mingled in with the others, saw how the teachers were filled in awe over his knowledge and understanding of machinery, saw them award him with chances – and more opportunities. Feldt watched, dazed, as she saw him unravel more mysteries, discovering hidden plots and agendas. It seemed that Setsuna knew that there was an enemy that was more dangerous and deadly than Aker and Katagiri - but for now he was unsure who it was. It was someone who was pulling the strings, making his puppets do his bidding. Who was it? And why...?

_The world is filled with people that harbour dark intentions. People fight. Why do they fight? Why do they want to dominate?_ Setsuna's thoughts, more directed to himself than to Feldt, reverberated around the echoing space.

Feldt reached a hand out to Setsuna, which he instinctively grasped. The next words that she whispered made him widen his eyes in surprise.

_You were lonely too._

And there was no point for him to hide the truth, so he merely gazed at her steadily – watching as more tears stained Feldt's cheeks.

_I'm not that sure why my parents died,_ Feldt told him. _But they were mobile suit pilots. I was always with them when I was younger. I'm sure that their death has something to do with the war, but I can't be sure. No one really told me the full details. The funeral was a small one, with only close friends and relatives involved. It was...sad. But I couldn't do anything but stare in despair._

_I'm sure they had you in their hearts until the very last moment,_ Setsuna replied.

Feldt merely nodded, and then there was another moment of comfortable silence.

_This must be a by-product of the GN Particles, _Setsuna thought._ Time must slow down while we are here._

_They're beautiful, _Feldt noted absent-mindedly. _And so very powerful._

Setsuna's grip tightened. _There are many undiscovered things about them._

_There are always people out there who wish for the despair of others, _Feldt thought, in an answer to Setsuna's previous unanswered question. _Domination is power. You can't change what these people think. _

_No, but I can stop them. _

Feldt gave him a bittersweet smile. _So you fight to stop fighting?_

_Yes._

_It is a difficult task, Setsuna._

_Do you trust me?_ He questioned her once again. Setsuna was serious, Feldt knew.

_You needn't even ask. Besides, Setsuna, you aren't alone in this. You have Lockon, Tieria – and me. Well, technically, there isn't much use in having me on your side, since I can't pilot mobile suits or talk to government officials like them, nor am I good in fighting with my hands, but…_

Feldt babbled on and on, and while Setsuna wasn't smiling, she thought she could sense his happiness.

She would have loved to stay here forever together with him.

But she couldn't.

_Setsuna…there's a battle out there. _

_I know. _

_We can't just ignore that. We have to win this fight. _

_I know, _he repeated.

And with that simple declaration, they were suddenly back in reality – only to find that they were very much alone, with the enemy suits defeated. The flashing bright green particles were gone, and Feldt was back in her seat. There was no more floating, no more telepathy.

She wondered what on earth that was - but she suspected Setsuna wasn't so sure either.

"Yo, Setsuna, Feldt! You two alright?"

"L-Lockon?" Feldt gasped. It was really his voice, which came from a magnificent tall green suit. She shook her head, still feeling disoriented from the earlier experience.

He laughed. "I came to provide you two backup, and succeeded in shooting down the enemies before anything worse could happen. Well, then – since this fight is over for now, why don't we return?"

Feldt heard Setsuna exhale with relief.

"Roger."

Things were alright - for now.

* * *

**YES, THEY HELD HANDS. Okay, okay, so I made use of that telepathy thing that happened in the second season during Trans-Am to help the both of them be closer to each other. Urghhh. Freaky GN Particles. Surprised? And oh yeah, I invented some of Feldt's past up since it wasn't really mentioned in the anime - but according to Wiki, her parents DID pass away, and they truly were mobile suit pilots. Tried to delve into Feldt and Setsuna's character a little more, but...  
**

**Anyway, tell me how I did in this chapter. Was it too cheesy? Irritating? Annoying? Lovely? Awesome? I don't know, YOU tell me. :P Please review!**

**- Anne**


	7. Enemy's Lair

**Sooo. This chapter might be a little different. Be prepared. Not so much centered on FxS. More characters in this chapter, but also focuses on how Feldt feels and what happens as the story moves along...where the baddies appear. **

**Surrealistic, Da Cute Snowbunny, klasnic, StormyMonday, AmericanFairy, Royal Duke Armadilloer III, LovesFollower, Yuriski-1st, and GuitarWind45 - _thank you for reviewing!_ And for those who took the time to read through the last chapter, and to all the alerts plus faves - thank you so much!**

**Enjoy the chapter!  
**

* * *

**Enemy's Lair**

* * *

"What were you thinking, commencing Trans-Am when testing hasn't even been completed?" Tieria snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Setsuna. "Not only has the enemy seen the GN Particles, they now have a chance to analyze it! With their vast intelligence and equipment, they'll discover its potential much earlier than we do!"

Setsuna merely looked at Tieria, placing his sweat-soaked pilot suit aside. He had managed to land the mobile suit safely in the hangar after the chaotic fight, much to Feldt's relief. She had gotten off the suit with slightly unsteady feet, but at least they were _alive._

Now, they had Tieria's wrath to deal with.

Lockon intervened, stepping in between Setsuna and Tieria. "Hey, Tieria, stop that. Setsuna and Feldt were in danger. There wasn't much of a choice, you know."

"Tell me then, Dylandy! The Trans-Am was supposed to be this mobile suit's greatest hidden weapon! Now that it has been seen, what do you propose we do?"

"Would you have preferred it if they were both caught by the _Union_? That mobile suit would have been seized and they would have been interrogated," Lockon retorted.

Tieria glared, garnet eyes conveying anger. "No matter what the consequences could have been, a good _soldier_ would never reveal his secret techniques to the enemy!"

And that was it – the final straw. Feldt, who had been watching the argument silently on the couch, stood up abruptly and slammed a fist onto the table. Hard. The solid _thwack_ reverberated around the room, and the raised voices faded into stunned silence.

"That's enough," Feldt said firmly. Her voice was soft, but there was a semblance of authority in it. "Tieria, you were supposed to make sure that the skies were safe for flying. Setsuna told me you had taken care of it." Tieria narrowed his eyes and tried to speak, but Feldt cut him off, "No, look, I know there were no mistakes in your calculations. The Union obviously set a trap and we walked into it, which was unfortunate – but Setsuna _saved my life_. He saved my life when no one else could. He managed to save himself, and this mobile suit too."

The silence that continued was deafening and Feldt strode up to Tieria, looking at him in the eye. "This wasn't anyone's fault and you know it," she said sternly. "Or, like what Lockon said, would you have preferred it if we were captured, _dead_ even?"

For a moment, no one spoke. Feldt waited patiently for Tieria's response.

"Your disappearances or deaths would not be of any concern," he finally said, averting away from her challenging stare, "Though smoothing it out would greatly inconvenience me." With that, he exited the common area, slamming the door as he went.

Feldt sank back onto the couch, exhaling loudly before breaking into a small smile. "Staring Tieria down sure was difficult. Setsuna, are you alright?"

But all Feldt got was a glance from Setsuna before he entered his own room, locking the door with a click. That action felt too hostile to Feldt, even if it was the stoic Setsuna that she was talking about. Hadn't they overcome the initial silence already?

"Setsuna…?" She shook her head, unsure of what to do now. Should she try talking to Setsuna? Look for Tieria to shake more sense into him? Make a sandwich? Get some sleep?

"Don't worry. They both just need some time to pull themselves together."

Feldt jumped, forgetting that someone else was still in the room with her. "Lockon…"

"Call me Neil. That's my real name - Neil Dylandy. Lockon is just a common nickname for me – an alias, so to speak."

Feldt nodded, wondering why he would have such a nickname - but decided not to pursue that issue for now. "Neil. Are they angry at me? Is there anything I can do to make it right?"

Neil laughed aloud. Feldt looked so serious while asking, and that alone amused him. "No, no. It's not your fault. Tieria's always been hot-tempered. He'll calm down in a couple of hours – believe it or not, he was just worried about you two. He was supposed to make sure that there were no enemies around after all - and there's the guilt to deal with, see?"

_Worried?_ Feldt just couldn't see how.

"It's true," Neil insisted, seeing Feldt's dumbfounded expression. "Remember what he said – that 'smoothing it out would greatly inconvenience him'? Yeah, it just means that he cares, that's all."

"It wasn't his fault," Feldt said wearily. "There's no need for guilt."

Neil looked thoughtful. "Still, for them to be able to get through Tieria and allow us to carelessly walk into their trap? The Union must have some seriously brilliant tactical forecasters..."

Feldt didn't say anything.

"Well, that's not the point. Anyway, as for Setsuna…how do I put it? He's angry at himself."

"At himself? Why?" Feldt asked incredulously. Of all the reasons, this was the last thing she expected.

"Because he put you in danger."

Oh. "What, that's all?"

"_That's all_?" Neil repeated. "Feldt, you were the first one he has genuinely opened up to. You're special to him. For all these years that Tieria and I have known Setsuna, we have only seen his apathetic, emotionless side. You're changing him, Feldt. You're unlocking a part of him that we've never seen before." He ran a hand through shaggy brown locks, sighing. "And somehow, Setsuna realizes this too. He's probably confused over these new emotions he's facing but no matter what, _he knows that he can't lose you._"

Feldt leaned back against the couch and snuggled into the softness, comprehending what Neil had just said.

Setsuna had always been hard to read.

It seemed ridiculous, but Feldt wanted to make everything alright for him. She hated to see him suffer, and she wanted to dig deep within his heart and make his loneliness disappear. She wanted to hold him close and tell him that no matter what happened, everything would be alright – because behind that stoic mask of his, Setsuna was always sacrificing himself for the good of the world. He didn't deserve anymore sadness. Despite how cruelly life had treated him, Setsuna always wished for the peace and happiness of others.

She just wanted him to be happy…and…and she wanted..._what was it that she wanted?_

Now that she was back onto solid land, Feldt could feel the effects of the night's events creeping up on her. Not only were her thoughts in a jumble, Feldt was feeling cold, shivery, and disoriented.

Feldt knew that her parents' death involved mobile suits and an accident, but she wasn't exactly sure of the details. If they were attacked by enemies while piloting – what were their last thoughts before they died? Had they fought valiantly to escape?

She hugged her knees. Without Setsuna, she would have been _dead_. Even when the assassin broke into her room, Feldt knew that she had been helpless. It was this powerlessness that she hated, the hesitation that she despised. She was always relying on Setsuna, and being the damsel in distress just wasn't what she wanted.

It was going to get worse, she knew. Why couldn't she have the power to save herself as well?

"Hey, Feldt, you alright?" Neil was peering critically at her.

"I'm okay. Just a bit tired."

"Is it a headache? We have some aspirin in the drawers."

"I'm…really fine," Feldt said, rising to her feet shakily. "I'll be out to get a bit of fresh air."

Neil sighed. "Feldt, it's past midnight. You do know that if anyone wants to attack you now would be the best time, right?"

"It's just the lab. Please? It'll be a few hours at most," Feldt pleaded. She had to do something – _anything_ – to get her mind off things.

There was a pause.

"Alright," Neil said, admitting defeat. "But I'm escorting you there. And when you're done, ring me and I'll pick you up. Don't give me that look – I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

And so the hours passed. Night came and went, the darkness fading into bright light that shone across the campus like a torch - the rays glinting off window panes, casting shadows across bushes and shining through stained glass - revealing a kaleidoscope of colors.

Feldt never rang Neil up. She stayed in the robotics engineering lab the entire night, sometimes resting with her face buried in her arms, but otherwise worked feverishly - conducting all sorts of mechanical tests and constructing reports.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost time for classes to begin. How had time passed by so quickly? Feldt shrugged off her lab coat, walking out of the doors – only to see a few people there who looked very displeased with her.

First, there was Neil.

"You didn't ring," he said accusingly, folding his arms.

Secondly, there was Marie and Allelujah. Feldt was counting them as a single unit now. _MarieandAllelujah. Marie-Allelujah. _

"Feldt, I brought you breakfast. You're overworking again. What's wrong?"

"Marie's really worried," Allelujah said with a sad smile, "and I don't like seeing her like that. Are you alright?"

Thirdly, there was the person whom she didn't want to face the most – Setsuna.

"Feldt Grace," he stated, as if it was a greeting.

Feldt stifled a yawn, trying to be as casual as possible. "What do you all want?"

Neil 'tsk'-ed disapprovingly. "Isn't that obvious? An explanation, of course. You told me you'd only be at the lab for a few hours - but you didn't even answer your phone, or respond when I knocked on the lab door."

He _what_? Feldt glanced at her phone. The missed calls and messages shone on the screen, bright and urgent. Strange. She hadn't realized it, being so engrossed in her work. "Oh," she finally said, "I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry."

Neil didn't seem too forgiving just yet, but Marie had intervened. "Here, Feldt, breakfast. Do you want to come to the cafeteria with Allelujah and I? You know, just a meal before class?"

Feldt nodded. "Sure," she said, wanting to do anything – anything as all – to escape from being alone with Setsuna.

She walked away with Marie and Allelujah, feeling Setsuna's burning stare from behind. Neil merely watched the scene unfolding, a thoughtful look on his face.

* * *

Feldt ate slowly, chewing carefully before swallowing. She vaguely realized that Marie had taken the effort to make sure Feldt had her favourite food, but she was too caught up in her thoughts to appreciate it.

Marie and Allelujah were eating normally, but they would glance at Feldt from time to time, as if they were worried that she would pass out all of a sudden. There were instances where Marie seemed like she would want to bring up something, but then she would shake her head and decide against it. She knew Feldt, and forcing her to dredge up secrets wouldn't do any good – but perhaps she could still try and make some casual conversation…?

Marie smiled at Feldt just then. "What were you working on, Feldt? Was it a new project?"

"Yeah," Feldt answered, not really paying attention. "Just…a simple assignment."

In truth, Feldt had mentally noted down everything she had seen on the mobile suit yesterday night and had done the inputting into the database, doing complex calculations as she went. If they were correct, and Feldt knew they most likely were, the mobile suit could function at a much higher capacity, exceeding the best mobile suit that was ever invented in the Union - or even in the world.

It would be the machine of a decade – a century, even. If these GN Particles fell into the wrong hands, it was true that a weapon of mass destruction would be invented, throwing the world into chaos. There was always a possibility of tyranny, and many others would fight just to get their hands on this mysterious, powerful energy source. The stakes were too great - the Union would definitely pounce onto it and use it as an opportunity to subdue the other major states.

"Feldt…?"

"Hm?"

"You previously mentioned that there was a new transfer student who would be using your room soon, right?"

_Uh-oh._ Feldt had forgotten all about that. How was she supposed to tell Marie that she had to room somewhere else (at Setsuna's headquarters, to be exact) because that there were baddies out to get her – _and that there was actually no such student coming?_

"I'm…actually unsure of the details…"

"That's alright," Marie said, unfazed by Feldt's reluctance. "I'm sure we can ask Ms. Mannequin about that."

"And I'll go with you," Allelujah supplied helpfully.

_That wasn't right. They weren't supposed to be this enthusiastic!_ Feldt stood up, waving her hands frantically. "W-wait! I mean, there's no rush, right? In fact, I'm not sure whether there's even an exchange student coming or not!"

"But you told me that one would be coming the other day," Marie said, cocking her head to look at Feldt questioningly. "That's why you moved out in the first place, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes! I mean, no. Uh…" Feldt looked around desperately, regretting that she hadn't come up with a better lie. "Look, I'd tell you more, but class is about to start for me. Thanks for the breakfast, Marie!"

And that was when Feldt saw them.

She had already pushed her chair away, preparing to leave - but they came silent and unannounced, their sudden presence catching her off-guard.

_They were the two Union officials who had given her an important task to complete – building a Flag machine that surpassed all boundaries. _

"Good morning, Feldt."

Billy Katagiri and Graham Aker stood side by side, smiling down at Feldt. Billy's long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail as usual, and he had a long dark overcoat around him. Graham was in the official Union uniform, buttons shiny and polished. Although they were both smiling pleasantly, the aura of two important officials clung onto them, heavy and commanding.

What were they doing here? If they wanted to see her, they would have arranged a special appointment with her beforehand. To show up just like that – _what were they thinking?_

"G-good morning…" Feldt said, fidgeting nervously.

"It's good to see you," Billy said. When Feldt merely nodded, he asked, "And? How's the little task we gave you coming along?"

Feldt tried to speak, but no words would come. She had paused, frozen, torn between the idea of staying or sprinting away like a lunatic.

Meanwhile, Allelujah and Marie watched the exchange curiously at the table, unsure of what was happening but were very much aware of Feldt's anxiety.

Graham placed a hand on Feldt's shoulder, laughing when she jumped and hastily swatted his hand away. "Relax," he said, moving away. "Why don't you come with us for a little while? We do understand that this is something you just can't speak about in public."

_Go away,_ Feldt wanted to scream. _Just go away and leave me alone._ Instead, she forced herself to turn to Marie and say, "I'm going on ahead, Marie."

Marie's eyebrows shot up while Allelujah tensed at her side. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. See you later then." With that, Feldt walked away with Billy and Graham, trying to prepare herself for what she was sure would be a full-scale interrogation - one that wouldn't be so pleasant.

Students were staring openly at the three of them, not even bothering to hide their curiosity. They were all taking different university courses and had their priorities on different things, but all of them knew who these two officials were. Graham Aker wasn't exactly one that blended into the background – he stood out, a beacon of nationalistic hope for the people while Billy Katagiri was known for his outstanding mobile suit designs. They were important people, people that served the nation and brought results about.

It was no wonder that the two of them parading with Feldt right in the middle drew curious and skeptical stares. Whispers floated across the hall, their words flitting across Feldt's ears like buzzing insects.

_"That's Aker and Katagiri, isn't it? What are they doing here?"_

_"Why is she with them?"_

_"What, didn't you know? Apparently they want her to do something for them!"_

_"Seriously? That pink fluff-ball is good enough for the country to be needing her help? I thought she only knew how to shelve books in the library!"_

Feldt listened to the whispers, balling her fingers into fists. _Don't listen to them,_ she told herself fiercely. _Don't. Just don't even let any comments get into you. If they do, you lose. _

"Where are we going?" Feldt asked. They had been walking for more than ten minutes already, making their way into a remote part of the campus grounds that people rarely went to. There were vines and greenery – messy, wild, tangled, unkempt. Just beyond that would be a large forest, one that led to the university's lake.

"Just a little – ah, here we are."

The Proctor's official headquarters? Feldt blinked, confused. What was an important place like this doing in such an inconspicuous area…?

Unlike high schools where the head was called a 'principal', the major head of the university was called the Proctor. He was the one who made all the major decisions, passed on judgements, and was the main head of the university in general. He rarely appeared in the public – Feldt didn't even know his name, or his appearances. She was certain that the other students weren't too aware about the Proctor's existence either – their lives revolved around courses, lecturers, friends, relationships - anything beyond that wasn't considered a part of themselves.

Of course, Neil, Setsuna, Tieria and herself were quite different than students like that. Not that it mattered. Back to the question – _why were they at the Proctor's official headquarters anyway?_

"Let's go through the procedures as usual, shall we, Graham?"

"Katagiri, we _are_ officially part of the Proctor's team. We could be counted as one-man armies – why should we even bother with something as trivial as security?" Still, Graham carefully knelt until he was at eye-level with a little machine on the door.

_A retina scanner?_ Feldt wondered. _Why was something important like that doing in the university?_ She shook her head, mentally berating herself for being so stupid. It was the Proctor's headquarters, and the Proctor was an important man after all. No stranger should be allowed to be waltzing in there.

_But what did Graham mean by his words? Part of the Proctor's team? One-man armies?_

The door whizzed open, and there were yet again five or six more security procedures to go through. Feldt lost count after a while. She felt cold, woozy, and uncomfortable in general.

And suddenly, it was over. They were in an office with nineteenth-century furnishings – a chandelier hung from the ceiling, its warm lights glowing ; paintings sent Feldt's mind spinning with their vivid hues ; books shelved neatly on a tall oak shelf towered, sending shadows on the thick carpet ; while a crystal grand piano stood nearby, glinting under the light.

It was all very regal, but it seemed too unreal to Feldt. It was as if she had arrived at a place of great importance in a different era.

"Welcome," a soft voice spoke.

Her eyes widened, and Feldt could feel the sudden fear gripping at her heart. It was rushing throughout her body – the anxiety, the adrenaline – squeezing, _tightening_ its hold on her.

The man in front of her was young, very young. His hair was a pale green, paler than the shrubs or vines she saw outside. What stood out, however, were his eyes. His eyes were fuchsia, but when Feldt watched closely, they glowed liquid-like into striking gold.

_This man was dangerous._

While Setsuna was dark and stoic, he never had the aura of a cold-blooded, cruel killer. This Proctor – whoever he was – held an aura of a snake. The sly cunningness, the dark intent of pouncing and killing – Feldt just knew. She could _feel_ it.

Trouble.

_She was in deep trouble._

"My name is Ribbons Almark, and I am the Proctor," he said, smirking and giving her a mock-bow. "Why don't you have a seat, Feldt Grace?"

_Setsuna,_ she thought. Her hands were trembling, and fear was taking over.

_Setsuna…._

* * *

**Dum dum dum. Ribbons Almark has appeared. How will Setsuna and the rest be able to get Feldt safely out of the enemy's embrace? Stay tuned to find out! So. What do you think about the story and the other character interactions so far? **

**Q : "Why isn't Alle doing ANYTHING and why isn't he with Tieria and Lockon yet?"**  
**A : "Calmmmmm down. Marie and Alle will be helping out a lot in the next chapter!" **

**Yes, stay tuned. AND OH. PLEASE REVIEW. :) Thanks for reading!  
**

**- Anne**


	8. Confrontation

**Although I may not reply to every single review I receive, take note that I read them over and over again happily like some kid with candy. You all make me happy - yes, you all do. Thank you so, so much for all the reviews, favs, and alerts. :) Anyways, here goes. **

**P/S : Advanced warning provided for massive amounts of Ribbons. Oh, and the involvement of MarieAllelujah. Insert a little drama and..._poof!_ Now you have angry, helpless Feldt.  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Confrontation**

* * *

_For Marie, the question had been casual._

"Where's Feldt?"

Marie glanced up in surprise at the trio before her. Setsuna, Tieria and Neil were crowding around the already cramped cafeteria table, their expressions serious and thoughtful.

"She was with us until the two Union officials led her away," Allelujah said, sidling closer to Marie. He placed his empty coffee can down on the table, noting silently at how their expressions shifted and darkened at the information.

Neil's jaw was set in a grim line. "Who exactly were they?"

Marie was unsure why they wanted to know, but she answered anyway. "Graham Aker and Billy Katagiri. They just appeared out of the blue. Feldt seemed surprised, like she wasn't expecting it."

Neil groaned. "Of course she wouldn't."

"I knew she was nothing but trouble," Tieria muttered from aside, a look of annoyance crossing his face.

"Shut _up_, Tieria." Turning back to Marie and Allelujah, Neil asked, "Do you know where they went off to?"

"No, they just took off without really saying," Allelujah replied, drumming his fingers casually on the cafeteria table. "They did mention that it wasn't going to be a public place, though. Perhaps a meeting room or somewhere...?"

The discomfort was growing throughout the trio – Marie could _tell._ She knew who they were, of course – Setsuna F. Seiei, Neil Dylandy – _or Lockon as people normally called him – _and Tieria Erde were three famous, outstanding university students. How Feldt managed to be so familiar with them was a mystery to Marie. Perhaps she was just imagining it, but they seemed to be genuinely worried over Feldt's current wellbeing. Neil was laughing uneasily, Tieria's gaze was _too_ sharp and calculating –

Setsuna's reaction, however, startled her the most. His fists were clenched tightly, and something of a feral snarl ripped out from his throat. For someone known to be void of emotions, this much of a display from Setsuna was enough to send Marie into a spiral of panic.

_What was going on?_

"Is anything wrong? Did something happen to Feldt?" Marie asked anxiously, rising from her seat. Allelujah grabbed an arm, trying to calm her down.

"It does not concern you," Tieria began, only to stop when Neil placed a heavy hand on his shoulders – a dangerous _do-not-make-things-worse_ expression clearly written on his face.

"There's nothing wrong," Neil replied patiently, trying to ease his face into what he hoped was a confident smile. "Thanks anyway. We'll see you around."

The three of them turned to leave, but Marie's sharp voice stopped them in their tracks.

"_Liar."_

Tieria was the first one to whirl around furiously. "What did you say?"

"I'm saying that you three are liars," Marie snapped, noting how Neil shifted around guiltily as she did. "Something _is_ going on, isn't it?"

"Listen," Tieria hissed, but Marie cut him off.

"No, _you_ listen. I know that Feldt has her secrets. It's hurtful to know that I can't do anything for her, and that I can only watch as she suffers." Marie shook her head sadly, but then her gold eyes shone with stubborn determination. "Well, guess what? There's only so much of it that I can stand. I want to help, and I know you three are worried as well. Why don't you tell me the truth?"

Tieria assessed the situation coolly. The soft-spoken silver-haired girl had evolved into something of a snappy piranha. Perhaps the next best step would be...

"Do you really want to help?" Setsuna asked, moving past Tieria to stand in front of Marie and Allelujah. This was the only way to avoid delays. Even if they didn't find out now, they would stumble upon the truth sooner or later.

Besides, in such a desperate situation, having an extra hand or two wouldn't hurt.

Marie nodded fiercely. Allelujah smiled from Marie's side, knowing that he loved her for her courage and loyalty. If she wanted to help Feldt, then Allelujah would support her in any way he could.

"Then," Setsuna continued, ignoring Tieria's indignant squawks of protests, "Let's go."

* * *

_For Feldt, the question had been casual. _

"Tea or coffee?"

Feldt licked her lips, unsure of how to handle the situation. "Uh…"

"I've always preferred Darjeeling, though the aroma of freshly brewed coffee can be quite a kick-start for the day. What do you think?" Ribbons asked pleasantly, the smirk on his face blatantly apparent. "Come now, don't be shy. Discussions are best made over a drink – unless you would prefer to have something…a little _wilder_? Alcohol, maybe?"

Alcohol with a dangerous Proctor? _Not a bloody chance._ She gave up. "Alright. Tea, then."

"What about us?" Graham asked dramatically, feigning hurt. "Don't we get free service from the almighty Proctor too?"

"Leave," Ribbons answered dismissively. "You two have fulfilled your purpose for today."

"But…" Graham whined, sounding more like a schoolboy than a Union official. Billy sighed – Graham could be so persistent. The two of them had been carrying out Ribbons' ideals for years – Graham, of all people, should have understood that Ribbons' temper was not to be tested by now.

"Ribbons," Billy began quietly, shutting Graham up effectively. There was something he had to let his superior know. "There are concerns that she may have made contact with the rebels."

Feldt's eyes widened. Billy and Graham were now eyeing her coldly, ignoring the way she shook with fright. The rebels would have to mean Setsuna, Tieria and Neil, wouldn't it? But…they couldn't have known. _Unless_…

"Then let's put those concerns to rest today, shall we?" Ribbons asked conversationally. He strode over when she didn't say anything, hovering dangerously over her. Feldt shrank away, but all Ribbons did was press a teacup in her hands. "Here you go – tea at its finest."

Feldt sniffed the tea a little and sipped, satisfied that it didn't carry any traces of bitterness. He wasn't trying to poison her, at least.

Realizing that the two government officials were still in the room, Ribbons turned to face them. Without a trace of friendliness, he snapped, "What are you still doing here? Leave, I say!"

As Graham and Billy sauntered out of the office, Ribbons poured a cup of tea for himself and seated himself on Feldt's opposite. Feldt shivered – the fear within her was growing now that she was alone with him. She had to prepare herself for what could be coming up next – but what could she do when she was _trapped? _Billy and Graham were enemies, but she would have felt better if they were in the same room as her._  
_

"There, there," Ribbons said in mock comfort. "There is nothing to fear. As long as you behave as how you should, I will spare your life. Drink up – Darjeeling tastes best when served hot."

_Spare my life?_ This man was a monster! "It was _you_," Feldt bit out, unable to contain the sudden anger that overwhelmed her fear. His smooth words and promises sent her over the edge – Ribbons was more than just a university Proctor, that was for sure. "You sent the assassin to kill me!"

Ribbons didn't deny it – if anything, his smirk grew larger. "That is correct."

"What is it that you want? What are your motives?" Feldt asked, expression hard and determined. "We will stop you, whatever it is!"

Feldt knew that Setsuna would stop him with Tieria and Neil by his side. It was just three of them, but did it matter? They would do it. They could. Those three weren't normal teenagers. They _knew t_hings.

_She trusted Setsuna with her life. If he wanted to save the world, Feldt knew that he would.  
_

Instead of an angry outburst, Ribbons merely threw his head up and laughed. His laughter resonated around the room, full or mirth and amusement. Feldt merely sat in her seat, unsure of what to do. _Perhaps she could ready herself to run and attack him with the teacup if necessary._

"Stop me? _Me,_ Ribbons Almark?" He continued chuckling, seeming to find the idea of being defeated ridiculous. "Quite the naïve dreamer, aren't you?"

"It isn't naïve. One can always hope."

"You merely have not seen what true power is." Ribbons stood up and walked to the window, the cup of tea still in his hands. He shut the blinds with a _snap_ – any vestiges of sunlight that had trickled through the glass was now almost non-existent. "Feldt Grace," he intoned. "Born on 28th December, 2293 AD. You had a lonely, deprived childhood with merely machines as companions. Due to extensive exposure to the makings of mobile suits at a young age, you were highly skillful, earning the praise of experts during the era of growing technology."

Feldt narrowed her eyes, unsure of where this was going.

"Your parents Ruido Resonance and Marlene Vlady were killed in a mobile suit conflict. A small funeral was held, with only close friends and relatives attending. Their deaths were not publicized for fear of the public's reaction."

"So?" Feldt asked wearily. She knew these already.

"Details of the battle were unknown," Ribbons continued, the golden gleam present yet again in sly fuchsia eyes. "However, it is known that their sole daughter threw herself into the world of mobile suit technology after their deaths in order to move on in life. Quite the touching story, isn't it? I'm sure they would be proud, knowing that their daughter tried so very hard..."

"Narrating my life-history won't do you any good," Feldt said, attempting to stem any feelings of hurt and unease at the bottom of her stomach. _Those were memories that she had so desperately wanted to forget, secrets she never really wanted to share. _"Cut the chase and tell me what you want."

Ribbons set his teacup down with a soft _clink_. The high-collared suit he wore with ruffles at the side made him look like an elegant aristocrat in the nineteenth century – a charming, cunning, and dangerous one.

"I know about your acquaintance with Setsuna F. Seiei. That includes Neil Dylandy, Tieria Erde, even Marie Parfacy – your closest friend, with her sweetheart Allelujah." The grin on his face was cruel, and his next sentence nearly made Feldt's heart stop. "If you do not cooperate with me, I will kill them – _just like how I killed your parents_."

* * *

"What? Are you _serious_?"

"I find it hardly appropriate to joke at a time like this," Tieria said drily to Marie, who looked shell-shocked at the stunning revelation that had been just revealed to her.

The five of them were sprinting past the campus lawns, ignoring the curious looks other students were sending them. It was a beautiful day, Marie noted. Such bright sunlight was perfect for a day-out – but there was no time to relax. Heading to Feldt was the topmost priority.

"I never knew she kept such a large secret…"

"It's not your fault," Allelujah said gently, his eyes kind and understanding. "She never told you anything."

"I know, but at the moment she could be seriously hurt. We don't even know where she is..."

Neil cracked a rare smile just then, knowing that Marie would be surprised at a few things next. "We'll just have to find out, won't we?"

"...Find out?" Marie furrowed a brow. "That's impossible."

"Uh-huh. Just watch Tieria perform the impossible then."

Tieria ignored the banter behind him, whipping out a device out of his pocket instead. It was time to put his knowledge to use. Although that pink-haired girl wasn't important to him, allowing the enemy to have her was unacceptable. She knew far too much by now. Besides, Tieria didn't want to see Setsuna go into a rampage. If anything happened to her, he knew exactly just what Setsuna would do.

"The first thing that should be done now would be to check which direction they have gone off to," he muttered. "Tieria Erde. Requesting access."

_"Voice recognition complete. Welcome back, Tieria Erde."_

Marie and Allelujah jumped upon hearing the device's monotone, shocked that it could even respond – much less interpret the sequences in an individual's _voice. _

Neil smiled a little. Tieria Erde was the unrivaled genius in hacking and information manipulation. After all, he had made it so that all three of them would be living in Dorm Seven – with him, Tieria, as the dorm leader. How else was it that they could sneak around and even make use of the hidden basement below as a second personal living space?

Tieria scanned through copious amounts of information and photos, garnet eyes skimming through each one swiftly. "The last surveillance camera at point 36D caught their images. They headed into the direction of the forests a little past half an hour ago."

Marie raised an eyebrow. The forests? There was just nothing there. It was just acres and acres of green, with a lake somewhere further ahead. Why would they head over to such a peculiar location?

"There's nothing beyond that place," Allelujah said, voicing out her thoughts perfectly.

Setsuna, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up. "There is."

Marie and Allelujah stared, unblinking. However, Neil and Tieria weren't so surprised. They had always known about what lay hidden within those depths.

"The only place that lies beyond that area," Setsuna continued, "is the Proctor's office. If we hurry, we may still be able to make it on time."

* * *

Feldt wasn't sure she had heard quite right.

Ribbons was still wearing that smug, satisfied smile – Feldt wanted to wipe it off his face. She shook – not in fear, but in anger.

"You…_killed _my parents?"

"I believe you heard me fine just earlier on," Ribbons said. He enjoyed aggravating her – the anger was practically radiating off her figure, enshrouding her in a cloak of dark resentment. Were those tears he saw in emerald eyes? My, my.

Feldt clenched her fists tightly, feeling rage well up within her. A fine red haze clouded her vision – Feldt wanted to nothing more than to do something with the fury that was threatening to unleash itself. _How dare he_, she seethed. _How dare he!_

Nothing prepared herself for what she did next. Instinctively, Feldt leaped off the couch with a primitive war cry and aimed for Ribbons, teacup in hand. If she smashed his head with it, perhaps it would knock him out.

_Wrong._

She should have known that he was stronger. Despite his small frame, Ribbons Almark was not one to be messed with. Calmly, he moved aside, watching as Feldt's teacup smashed into the glass case behind him. Without giving her time to react, Ribbons grabbed and shoved her into the shattered remains. Feldt gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, pulling her arms up to protect herself. More glass splintered – Feldt could only thank the fact that they broke into tiny pieces and not into large, sharp slabs.

That didn't mean she was unharmed. Feldt coughed, struggling to pull herself up. That wet stickiness that flowed from the side of her temple was most likely blood. _To think that she had stitches on her arm not too long ago – perhaps she was just destined for a lifetime of injuries. _Feldt laughed weakly, amazed at how her mind worked in times like these.

Ribbons towered over her, looking twice as intimidating from that angle. "You should have stayed put like a good girl."

In contrast to his cool, patronizing voice earlier on, Ribbons now sounded flat, almost machine-like. Any traces of mockery were gone from his eyes – and although it seemed impossible, Feldt swore that he looked _more_ dangerous than before. She tried backing away, but the effort was futile. Her palm met more brittle glass, which only worsened the pain.

At this rate, she may not be able to get out alive.

"You…killed my parents," Feldt gasped. "Y-you planned to kill them from the very beginning."

Ribbons laughed maniacally. "I did. Of course I did. Mind you, they sounded pathetic at the very last stages of their lives. Their suits was smoking, did you know? They were choking. Coughing. Begging for mercy. Begging for someone, anyone, to take care of their _poor, lovely daughter_."

"You…you won't get to my friends. I won't…let you…kill anymore people I love..."

"You? What can you do?" Ribbons strode over to her, pulling Feldt up by a lock of pink hair. A pained expression crossed her face, which only served to motivate him more. "You are a mere pawn in my plans, Feldt Grace. The same goes to your lovely little friends. Pawns should act like pawns. I decide on how to dispose of them when they have lost their purpose."

"Why…why? Why do you do this? What…what exactly…" Feldt gave another shaky cough, mentally cursing the fact that her words weren't coming out right. Damn it, she had to know. She had to understand why.

_Even if she were to die now, she wanted to die knowing the truth._

A loud crash suddenly resounded from the front, grabbing Feldt's attention. It didn't seem too far away – and it was probably just her hallucination, but she swore she heard someone calling her name.

Was that…_Setsuna?_

_No, Setsuna, don't come. _Feldt struggled at the grey dots that were dancing into her vision and hoped that somehow, in some miraculous way, Setsuna would be able to hear her pleas. _This man is dangerous. He'll kill you. He'll kill me. He'll kill everyone. _

_Just like how he killed my parents._

"Ah," Ribbons murmured, releasing his hold on Feldt. The amused, lazy tone was back in his voice. "Looks like we have guests."

* * *

**[Insert scream of frustration] Pardon the lack of SetsunaxFeldt interactions here. They'll come soon. Movin' across the storyline first. **

**I nearly died writing this chapter, I swear. It was the toughest one yet. How did a simple love story turn out into a mesh of complexities...? Up until today, I have no idea. Anyway, Ribbons is such a pain in the ass. It's difficult to write about him. And oh, my deepest apologies if Feldt was slightly off the OOC chart. To me, if she could be pissed at Soma in the anime, she would be ferocious if this situation with Ribbons ever occurred. And, sorry for any mistakes. I'm just about to go and sleep now.  
**

**Still, let me know what you think about the chapter. Give a poor, tired fanfic writer a review...? :)**

** - Anne**


	9. Rescue

**I know I don't always reply to reviews, favs and alerts - but to those who did, you guys are amazing. I love y'all. How's the summer going for those at the Northern hemisphere? If it gets any colder here at the South, I'll be shattin' ice cubes.  
**

**Anyways. Hopefully this chapter didn't turn out too choppy. Enemy face-off scenes and...ugh, romance – were never my strong point. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Rescue**

* * *

"We're going right in!" Neil warned, whipping out a pistol from his pocket. "Anyone who's unarmed, stay behind!"

Marie and Allelujah dutifully retreated to the back, watching as Tieria shuffled to the middle. Neil and Setsuna took the lead, their shoes thudding loudly on the silent hallway.

"Level Two and Three security cleared," Tieria announced, fingers flying over the keypad of his device in a blur_. _"The next door will take us directly to the Proctor's office."

Neil grinned, removing the safety of his gun with a pop. "Alright, here we go. Everyone ready?"

Marie laughed shakily, watching as Allelujah positioned himself in front of her so as to shield her from any potential attacks if necessary. She was not ready for this – but there was no chance of backing out anymore.

Tieria pocketed his device, grabbing out a Taser instead. Setsuna, like Neil, carried a gun on himself where ever he went – and today was of no exception. He fluidly pulled out a gun, briefly checking to make sure it was loaded.

They approached the door, careful and apprehensive.

"Ready?" Neil asked Setsuna. Setsuna nodded, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

Tieria gasped, suddenly aware of a painful fact. "Stop! What if there were traps beyond the door? We should try an alternative..."

It was no good. Tieria's warning went unheeded. Setsuna and Neil charged in with a deafening yell, slamming the door against the wall with so much force that Marie thought it would be ripped off its hinges. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for bloodcurdling screams, gunshots, blood – anything that would have appeared on an action movie.

However, when all that met her was silence, she decided to sneak a peek.

_And regretted it almost instantly._

The first thing she saw was the destruction – and there was quite a lot of it. An entire glass case had collapsed, its contents lying on the floor in bits and pieces. A table had been overturned and flowers from a vase had toppled out, lying haphazardly on the rug.

The next thing that could be seen was a young man with glowing eyes, smirking devilishly. He stood arrogantly, arms crossed, over something – or _someone..._

And finally, the most horrendous scene met everyone's eyes. It was the sight of a broken, twisted Feldt lying on the ground, covered in glass and blood. Feldt's normally neat pink hair fanned around her, framing her pale face. Her eyes were closed, but even from a distance, it was clear that she was in pain.

"Feldt!" Marie screamed, rushing forward. She had to reach for her – she _had_ to! As if anticipating her reaction, Allelujah pulled her back almost roughly, his face was twisted into one of sadness.

"No."

"Let go of me!" Marie cried, attempting to release herself from his hold.

"No, Marie. I can't let you get hurt," Allelujah stated firmly. "Calm down. Neil and Setsuna will do something about this."

As much as Marie hated to admit it, Allelujah had a point. She bit her lip, hoping that the warmth prickling the corners of her eyes weren't tears. It wasn't the right time to cry, after all.

"Welcome, fellow students."

The monotone that came from the man made Marie jump. Allelujah's grip on her arm tightened – she was certain it was going to bruise later.

Neil and Setsuna watched the pale-haired man warily, their guns aimed at him. Setsuna growled. "You are not just a Proctor, are you?" The urge to run to Feldt was strong, but Setsuna knew that it was unwise to rush to a comrade's aid when the enemy was still in sight.

_History was the best teacher, after all._

The man's eyes glowed in an eerie fashion for a few more moments before finally fading back into a striking fuchsia. He cocked his head to a side in mock confusion, feigning innocence. "I'm afraid I do not understand. I do happen to be your Proctor – you may call me Ribbons Almark."

"Ribbons, was it? You might as well cut the crap," Neil said. His tone was jovial, but the expression on his face was anything but that. "We've got you cornered. I hope you noticed that."

Ribbons chuckled. "Ah, Neil Dylandy. Always trying so hard for others, aren't you? The same could be said when…oh, I remember – it was your family that was killed in the horrible accident years ago, wasn't it?"

Neil's gaze darkened, and his grip on the smooth pistol tightened.

Ribbons ignored him, turning to face Tieria instead. "Tieria Erde – you are no doubt truly skilled in the art of hacking. It truly is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Tieria huffed, refusing to respond to the compliment.

"However…" Ribbons said, pausing for several seconds before continuing, "...is this what you truly want?"

A look of confusion crossed the purple-haired man's face. "...I'm afraid I do not understand."

"You realize, don't you, that you could use your abilities for so much more?" Ribbons asked. "I do wonder why you stay with your little group of helpless friends when you would be valued so much more in the military…"

"They're not my friends," Tieria replied testily. "I just happen to benefit from them in my own way."

Unfazed by Tieria's response, Ribbons now advanced towards Marie. "Marie Parfacy – how convenient for you to be here! I do apologize for the mess. Do understand, though, that your best friend would not have been injured had you paid more attention to her."

Marie opened her mouth and shut it again, bewilderment written across her face.

Allelujah slung an arm around her protectively, glaring at Ribbons fiercely. "Leave her out of this."

"Ah. Allelujah Haptism – you are quite an interesting one. How long will you be able to protect your beloved, when she is so intent on wandering into danger herself?"

"I will protect her as long as I have to. Especially from those of the likes of you."

"Of course, of course." Ribbons laughed again, shaking his head like he was humoring a child. Finally, he turned his attention to Setsuna. "And you, Setsuna F. Seiei! You are our university's very own prodigy – do you not feel proud?"

Setsuna remained silent, refusing to allow any form of emotion to show on his face. It was clear that Ribbons was a manipulative menace who picked on the emotional weaknesses of individuals, and Setsuna refused to be provoked by him.

"Smart, talented, adored and wanted by many females on the campus," Ribbons whispered, leaning dangerously close towards Setsuna. "How many know of your true past, or what you are capable of? You are a true killer, Setsuna."

"I know," Setsuna replied simply.

"But I assume this girl here," Ribbons paused, motioning to Feldt, "Already realizes that, doesn't she?"

_That was it._

Setsuna calmly pulled the trigger, allowing the bullet to ram into the spot where Ribbons' heart was. Ribbons' eyes widened and he staggered back, flailing helplessly for a few seconds before landing onto the floor with a loud _thud._

"We should have done that ages ago," Tieria muttered, watching as Setsuna rushed to Feldt's side. "I suppose we have to clear this mess up…"

"There's no time," Setsuna said sharply, pressing what seemed like an oversized handkerchief in order to stem the bleeding on Feldt's head. "We have to go."

Neil threw a look of disgust at Ribbons, who was lying face down in a pool of blood. "We didn't manage to get much information out of him, but at least he's dead. The fact that he knew our life story irritated the hell out of me, though."

"He must've had some brilliant intel," Allelujah chipped in.

Setsuna placed his pistol away, scooping Feldt up effortlessly in his arms. She was still breathing, he noted. Feldt may have been bruised, hurt and battered – but at least she was still alive.

_And that was when the laughter began._

Everyone paused in horror – realizing that the peals of laughter were coming from Ribbons, who was supposed to be very, very dead. They watched, dazed, as the pale-haired man pushed himself up from the floor, patting and dusting himself in a casual manner.

"W-what?" Marie gasped. "That's impossible…Setsuna hit his heart!"

Marie was right. There was a large patch of blood on Ribbons' chest, staining his dress shirt to a dark crimson – and yet Ribbons stood up and smiled calmly, not a shred of pain on his face.

Setsuna grasped the meaning behind this as quickly as the others did – that Ribbons Almark, whoever he was, _was by no means a normal human being._

He had many questions for Ribbons – they were at the tip of his tongue, nagging to be spilled out. Still, Setsuna wisely refrained from doing that. _Feldt's life was at stake._ For now, her safety was of the highest priority.

If Ribbons couldn't be killed for now, then they would just have to leave him be until they could find a way to permanently destroy him in the future.

"Let's go!" Setsuna yelled, dashing through the doors.

No one, not even Tieria, disagreed.

* * *

_The world was so dark._

When Feldt was younger, she often tripped over all sorts of items. Bruises were common, and she had even fractured an arm once by missing a step on the stairs. In short, she had experienced physical pain quite often due to her own clumsiness.

Still, the bruises always faded in time – and any fractures that impaired her mobility always healed up in the end. They weren't permanent. Pain wasn't something that would last forever – or that was what Feldt often said to herself.

Sometimes it just hurt too much to think, to feel – or to move, for that matter. It didn't matter whether the pain was physical or psychological – she was certain that it would go away.

It would definitely go away.

_It would…_

"_Feldt! Feldt! Stay with us!"_

Her name – that was her name, wasn't it? Feldt had to respond – it was only polite that she did, but the darkness continued engulfing her.

And then there was the stinging pain.

It hurt. It hurt so badly. The faint prickles were growing into full-blown stabs of pain, burning and coursing throughout her body like fire.

"_Feldt!" _

"_Feldt!"_

"_Are you alright? Feldt! Answer me!"_

The voices all belonged to different people. Feldt couldn't quite clearly identify who they were. It all sounded so hazy and distorted…

"_FELDT GRACE!"_

The deep voice roared in her mind, thrumming throughout her soul.

That voice. She recognized it. She _loved_ that voice.

Gradually, Feldt opened her eyes…

…and found herself staring into _Setsuna's_ dark ones.

"S-Setsuna…?" Feldt blinked a few times, idly wondering why his face seemed to be fading in and out of focus.

"She's awake!" Neil yelled, a triumphant grin crossing his face. "Thank goodness. We thought we've lost you for good!"

Feldt didn't have the energy to smile back. Her arms were heavy – she tried to lift them, but found that she was unable to. That was when Feldt realized she was in Setsuna's arms, and that he was _running_. That puzzled her – why was he in such a hurry?

_Ah, it hurt too much to think._ Feldt's eyelids began to droop – she just wanted to go back to that dark world, where nothing much made sense.

"Do not fall asleep on me, Feldt Grace!" Marie barked, sprinting up to Setsuna's side. "If you die on me, I will personally go to heaven and drag your sorry _ass_ back to life!"

Feldt cracked an eye open. Marie sounded genuinely frightened, which seemed strange to Feldt. "Marie? W-what are you doing here? Are you on a date with…Allelujah…? And…I don't think…heaven exists."

"She's in good spirits despite the amount of blood she's lost. That's a good sign," Tieria commented, pausing to glance at his device. "Alright, we'll be out of the university compound as soon as we sprint another five hundred meters to the east."

"I hate these forests," Marie muttered. Her long silver hair was an annoyance at a time like this – it got caught too easily in leaves and branches.

The group clumsily shoved through bushes, shrubs, and more trees. The sound of leaves crinkling beneath boots and shoes caused a disturbance towards the forest inhabitants – squirrels, frogs and birds fled the scene in a flurry, their cries echoing throughout the verdant din.

"We need to get emergency treatment for Feldt," Neil called. "Tieria, where do we head to next? At this rate, I doubt we can just return to our normal university lives anymore!"

Tieria snorted. "There is a hospital a few blocks away after we exit the forest, if that is what you're asking."

"Will a hospital be safe after how we attempted an attack on the proctor?" Allelujah asked, swatting a fly away.

"At this rate, it's the safest place we can find," Tieria answered through gritted teeth. "Besides, Ribbons won't do anything as stupid as charging in and arresting us with a police force. It would be too easy for him."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? He likes a game," Tieria said, turning to cast a mild glare at the dark-haired man. "Besides, if all these were to be broadcasted to the public, it would cause a huge ruckus. That would most likely be the last thing he wants."

Allelujah fell silent, and they continued ploughing through the mass amount of growth. Feldt, who had tried her best to listen and understand, didn't seem to be able to keep up.

"Keep her talking," Setsuna ordered Marie. He didn't want Feldt drifting away again.

"Y-yes!" Marie said. "Feldt, are you aware of what's going on around you right now?"

Feldt craned her neck slightly, only to have Marie's worried face come into view. "Not really…but I think I get it all the same. It's…so sticky."

"That's blood," Setsuna answered automatically, glancing down at Feldt's tired face. The bleeding was slowing, which was a good sign. "Which you have lost a lot of."

"…Oh," Feldt replied after a few moments, distracted by the continuous sound of shoes shuffling on the forest floor. "Is that a bad thing?"

Tieria looked incredulous at the question. "Is she being serious?"

"Alright, Feldt, I'll just give you a run-down of what happened. Basically, we rushed in and found that you were out of it. There was some gun-shooting involved – Setsuna grabbed you, and now we're making a break for it," Marie explained in a rush, her words almost jumbling together.

"…Oh."

"And losing blood_ is_ a bad thing," Marie added after an afterthought.

Feldt sighed. Now she remembered what happened – she had attacked Ribbons, only to suffer the consequences instead. "Can I sleep?" she asked, curling up and closing her eyes.

The group's chorus was instantaneous and decisive. "No."

"Hold on, Feldt, we're almost there," Neil said. "See, we're out of the forest already."

Setsuna glanced at the pink-haired girl in his arms, urging his feet to pick up the pace. She was incredibly light – even lighter than what he had expected. He cursed when he felt more wetness on his arm – had the bleeding began again?

However, Setsuna was surprised to find that instead of blood, tears were spilling down her face.

"Why," he asked lowly so that no one else could hear him, "Are you crying?"

Feldt gasped. It was the same question Setsuna had asked when they were alone in a different dimension during the mobile suit's Trans-Am. But…_was she crying?_ To her horror, Feldt found that she was. The tears were mingling together with the blood – it tasted awful on Feldt's lips. She hated it.

Feldt instinctively buried her face into Setsuna's chest. Despite the blood, dust and sweat, Setsuna's scent was comforting. "I…it hurts. Everything, Setsuna. _Everything._ That man, Ribbons, he…"

"Stop talking," Setsuna ordered. "We're taking you to the hospital. Do not think about him any longer."

"B-but…"

"You can tell me after you've recovered," he added softly, vaguely realizing that the hospital was just a few meters away.

Feldt chuckled lightly. "I wonder how l-long that'll take. But…Setsuna, t-thank you. Thank you so much."

The words felt odd to Setsuna. Being thanked was still something he wasn't used to. "Why are you thanking me?"

"F-for…saving me, once again." Feldt managed a weak smile, her breath hitching. "You…always do that. It was…your voice…I heard your voice, Setsuna."

Unsure of how to respond to such a comment, Setsuna could only watch as he handed her over to the medical personnel. They wheeled her quickly to the emergency room, their shouts echoing throughout the hospital.

Setsuna collapsed onto the chairs at the waiting area, realizing that everyone else had done the same out of exhaustion. Marie was in wrapped in Allelujah's protective embrace, while Lockon and Tieria were sweating and panting after such an exerting run.

_His voice, huh?_

All Setsuna had to do now was wait. Too many things had happened in a short time, but the facts were slowly but surely falling into place.

Setsuna was hit by a sudden realization. _Everything_ had begun ever since he and Feldt had met each other. Life was so much more quiet before that, wasn't it? He laughed a little bitterly, ignoring the wary glances Neil and Allelujah sent.

_Just how much had Feldt changed his life...or him, for that matter?_

* * *

**Ehhhh...[drops off into slumber] I kinda crammed this chapter in one entire Saturday. Overkill?  
**

**Read and review...  
**

**- Anne  
**


	10. Confusion

**So, I've been having quite a few anonymous reviewers lately. Since I can't directly reply to you, I'll say it here then - thank you so much for being so supportive! The same goes for anyone who I might've forgotten to reply, or have put this story on their alerts/favs. :)**

* * *

**Confusion**

* * *

_It had been raining back then._

_Feldt knelt in front of the two gravestones, feeling her knees sting when they came in contact with rough granite. The words on them were obscured by bouquets in all shapes and sizes, but Feldt already knew what they said. They were phrases and dedications – all in remembrance of her mama and papa._

_Mama and papa, who were no longer around._

_Mama and papa, who had loved her._

_Mama and papa, who had died in a war…_

_Someone must have killed them. But who? Who could it be? Who would harm her mama and papa? They were kind. They never hurt anyone. They didn't deserve it. _

_Feldt could no longer cry. She had cried enough throughout the service, especially when the caskets were lowered into the ground. No one had dared to approach her. Everyone had left when the service was over, knowing that Feldt wanted to be alone._

_And alone she was, drenched in the downpour, anguishing over death and the happiness it had taken away.  
_

"_Feldt Grace, correct? We are sorry for your loss." _

_Hadn't everyone left already? She turned around, only to see two men in military uniform. One had shaggy blond hair and green eyes, whereas the other had sandy-colored hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Feldt stood up, unsure of what to say._

"_I am Graham Aker, and this is Billy Katagiri. We have…a proposition for you." _

"_If it's about working in the military, then I refuse."_

"_Why," Graham asked, "Do you assume that it has to be military-related?" _

"…_Because of what you wear. You two are high ranking military officers," she whispered. "It's no question that people like you make others die during wars." _

"_It's true that war isn't pleasant, Feldt, but we have no interest in discussing something that would upset you any further. Please, will you hear us out?" _

_Feldt really didn't feel like talking, but she supposed it would be rude to refuse them. What harm would it be just to listen to them for a minute or two?_

"…_Alright. What is it?"_

"_We'll get right to the point, then. Feldt, we're offering you a chance to study robotics engineering in the Earth Sphere Federation University."_

_Feldt had heard of that university. It was only for the brightest students around, and to be offered a place…well, it was something that she would be proud of under normal circumstances. However…_

"_Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I'll be facing some funding difficulties since my parents are no longer around."_

"_Your education will be fully funded," Graham said gently. "There will be no complications involved."  
_

_It was suspicious, and Feldt knew that a deal like this was definitely too good to be true. There definitely had to be some sort of ulterior motive. Wait, if they were from the military, then that would mean…_

"_You all are planning to use me in some way for the military's benefit, aren't you?"_

"_She's smart," Graham muttered. "Ouch, Billy! Don't poke me!" _

_Billy made his way towards the young pink-haired girl, knowing he had to be the one to handle the conversation. "Feldt, it is true that the military needs you. However, we promise that we will never make you work within military headquarters itself. What we require is support from the side lines, and that is where you come in. Please understand that we will never ask you for more than what you can do." He shook her shoulders gently before continuing, "The military wants to end this war, Feldt. We want to ensure that people can be at peace again. Without you, we cannot do that."_

_Feldt remained silent for a very long time. For a moment, Billy thought that she would turn and leave. If she did that, then Ribbons would never forgive him – _

"_Alright." Her voice was soft, but Billy heard it despite the pounding rain. "I accept your offer."_

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep-beep-beep._

Feldt gave a small groan of annoyance. The series of _beeps_ were killing her – it was shooting waves of pain throughout her skull, making it throb and ache at two-second intervals. Eyes still closed, Feldt attempted to use an arm to turn it off, only to realize that she couldn't move.

_And then the voices began._

"Was it just me, or did I see a twitch?"

"You're imagining things, Marie."

"Am not!"

"Quiet, all of you. I'm trying to work here."

"Calm down, Tieria."

"You do realize that it's been three days, right?"

"With an injury like that, I wouldn't be surprised if it took longer…"

Feldt could barely make out what they were saying – everything seemed so fuzzy. The beeping was still continuing and she wanted to make it stop and her head just seemed to _hurthurthurthurt –_

Feldt opened her eyes, blinking once, twice – everything seemed so bright here. There were some distinct shapes not too far away – blobs of silver, purple and brown – blobs that seemed to move and _speak._ It seemed funny to her. Everything seemed to be funny. She giggled a little and tried to speak, but all that came out was a raw cough.

Instantly all the blobs swivelled around to look at her, and Feldt realized that they weren't merely talking blobs after all.

Marie stood up so quickly that her chair tipped backwards and Allelujah rushed over, catching the chair before it crashed onto the floor. Tieria looked over and merely gave Feldt a nod of acknowledgement before returning to his laptop. Neil was leaning against the table, a wide grin on his face.

Feldt tried her best to manage a weak smile back at them, but there was one person she wanted to see the most. Where was he…? Ah, there he was. Setsuna wasn't smiling, but he visibly relaxed when he saw that she was awake.

"Feldt! How are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere? Wait, I'll pour you a glass of water. That should help." Marie did just that, fumbling around with cups and jugs while Neil helped Feldt into a sitting position. "Here you go. Drink up. Do you want me to call the nurse?"

Feldt took a gulp of water, relishing the feel of it soothing her aching throat. "Marie, you're babbling."

"But I – oh, God. Geez, Feldt!" Marie buried her face in Feldt's shoulder. "You scared us all back there. Seriously, never do that again!"

"Marie, you're crying."

"I was so worried! I thought you were dead!"

"It took a long time to calm her down," Allelujah said, patting Marie's head. "She cares for you a lot, you know."

"W-wait," Feldt stuttered, feeling that something was a little out of place here. She glanced at Marie and Allelujah, then at Tieria, then back at the duo again. "Why are the two of you here? I remember…Ribbons…and then…the two of you were with me after that when we were escaping. Just how exactly...?"

"We told them the truth," Neil offered, his voice cheerful. "On who we were really were, and what we were capable of. They didn't take it too well in the beginning, but now everyone's just glad that you're back with us."

Feldt felt her eyes widen. _To tell them the truth…to tell Marie…?_ She shot Neil a look of betrayal and he shrank back, stunned at the intensity of her glare. "You told them?" Feldt's voice increased in volume, the accusing tone in it apparent. "You told them, when I struggled to keep it as a secret for so long?"

"Hey, calm down. They deserve to know, don't you think?"

"I wanted them to avoid knowing this as much as possible! I didn't want any of my friends to be involved…"

"And so you think that _I_ don't have a right to know?" Marie snapped. She didn't want to be angry at Feldt, not when the pink-haired girl had been so close to death a few days ago – but seeing Feldt speak in that manner irritated her. "How do you think _I _felt when I found out, Feldt? What do you think? I watched you nearly die without knowing what was going on!

"…It was only for your o-own good, Marie…"

"No, don't tell me what's good for me when you_ can't_ even understand how much pain you're putting yourself through! We're _friends_, Feldt. That's what friends are for. Friends don't keep secrets from each other!" When Feldt remained silent, Marie tossed her silver hair, huffing in frustration. "Fine. I get it. Continue being that way."

Feldt could only watch as Marie stomped out of the room, her temper flaring. Allelujah followed suit, sending Feldt one last apologetic look before he left. Tieria was the next to leave – he merely shut his laptop and walked out, not bothering to comment on the situation.

That left Neil and Setsuna with Feldt. Neil looked over to see Feldt's green eyes brimming with tears and wisely decided to leave as well, knowing that the young girl needed to speak with Setsuna the most.

* * *

Setsuna approached the pink-haired girl quietly. Feldt was gripping fistfuls of blankets and had an odd, scrunched-up expression on her face. He knew what that meant – she was trying her hardest not to cry.

"I screwed up," Feldt said dully. "Now even my closest friend hates me."

"No."

"Yes, she does. She hates me now."

"She was worried," Setsuna stated.

"I never wanted all of this to happen. Never." Feldt bowed her head low, staring at the sheets. "Then there was that man...I remember his name. It was Ribbons…"

"Do not think about him."

"I hate him, Setsuna." Suddenly Feldt's expression changed – she was gritting her teeth, and there was fiery anger in her emerald eyes. Behind that anger, Setsuna sensed something darker – something akin to fury and malice. "I hate him so much. It was him who killed my parents. He killed them, he told me he did. I hate him..."

"Don't," Setsuna said sharply, placing his own hand on top of Feldt's. "Do not give in to hatred." When she didn't respond, he gently tilted her face so that it was facing his. "It will only destroy you – do you understand?"

"B-but…"

"Hatred does not suit you, Feldt Grace."

"So," Feldt breathed in shakily, the anger momentarily fading away, "Are you just saying that I should do nothing? That man plans to destroy many things, Setsuna! He's evil! He laughs at everything – he laughs at us, at how helpless we are!" She gave him a stony glare, aware of how close his face was to hers.

_Why? Why wasn't he moving away?_

"No. We will stop him. However, hatred is not the answer. Our execution of him will be for justice, and not for revenge." Setsuna's dark eyes bore into hers, willing for Feldt to listen and understand. "Listen well. When I was a child soldier, I thought that if I carried out my revenge, I would be satisfied."

"…What changed your mind?" Feldt asked softly. Their voices had dropped to whispers, and both had to move even closer in order to hear each other.

"I killed a large number of enemies. Some of them, I tortured. I wanted them to feel the pain of them taking my happiness away." Setsuna paused, watching as Feldt's eyes widened in surprise and guilt. "…Day after day, month after month. After a while, I stopped remembering what my original motives were. I stopped caring. I only wanted to kill everyone who were against me. And that was when I realized that I was moving nowhere."

_Moving nowhere._ That was the state Feldt knew she had been for years, although she would never admit it. She would achieve, she would smile, she would laugh – but Feldt knew that deep inside, she had never truly moved on in life. She was stuck in a whirlpool of emotions – wild ones that hurt, dragged and tore her apart from the inside.

_But...S__etsuna must have gone through that too. _

_Setsuna, who had been a child soldier. Setsuna, who had pulled the trigger countless times. Setsuna, who had suffered in far worse conditions – who bore scars that were deeper than hers. Setsuna, who cared enough to jump into the crossfire to save her. Setsuna, who cared enough to be next to her, preventing her from drowning within those self-destructing emotions._

"I'm sorry…" Feldt whispered, this time allowing tears to spill freely. Instinctively, she laid her head against his chest, comforted by the warmth he brought. "I'm so sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault."

"I couldn't…I don't know…What do I do, Setsuna? I can't hate, but I can't forgive either. It's so messy, I – I can't... everything hurts…"

Setsuna didn't say anything. He allowed her to cry, ignoring the wetness that was seeping through his shirt. She needed this – and somehow, Setsuna had a feeling that he needed this too. He pulled her into an embrace, swearing to himself that he would protect this girl no matter what.

* * *

**Reviews are like chocolate-coated marshmallows. I adore them love them can't get enough of them.**

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**- Anne**


	11. Endure

**I think I've had about seven anonymous reviews for the last chapter. Just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! Since I can't reply, I can only do so here. If you guys are interested, do create a fanfiction account! It's free and allows you to keep track of updates while chatting with the authors. :) **

**Anyway, half of this chapter was typed while flying out of NZ. Writing in a plane while looking at clouds and having a cup of tea at the same time can be quite the experience. I tried to be, uh, a little more descriptive. Not sure how well it turned out.  
**

* * *

**Endure**

* * *

_"Come here, Soran Ibrahim." _

_The voice was stern and commanding, booming from his leader __–_ _the one who led the KPSA __–_ _a large man with a thick mustache. Fifteen-year-old Soran dutifully walked over._

"_Do you see this?" _

_A map was spread on the table, covered in specks of dust. Some points were crossed out in black, but one particularly stood out – a city circled in red with a marker. Soran nodded – he knew that city well. It was his hometown, after all. He had been born and raised there __–_ until he had changed his mind and left, believing in a cause his parents hadn't believed in. 

_The man stood back, appraising Soran for a second. "You have grown up to be a fine, young man." And indeed, Soran had. His body was no longer childlike – it was lean and firm, with muscles that showed through the thin rags he wore. His eyes have changed too, the man noted with a low chuckle. Those eyes had lost all sense of innocence a child would have…_

_Soran merely nodded once more. The air suddenly felt thick with too much tension – what was it that this man wanted from him, he wondered? There had to be a reason, and Soran was waiting to hear it. _

_The KPSA leader seemed to know this as well, for he gestured at the map once more and said, "You are one of our best soldiers, Soran. This was your city of birth, correct?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "No one else knows the terrain of it better than you do – and as such, you must be the one to go." _

_The man paused for a reaction, but Soran stayed silent. _

"_Very well. Listen up. Your mission this time is to take the lives of Aliyah and Muhammad Ibrahim." The man sneered, as if those names were muck under a pair of shiny shoes. "Heretics, those. They defy the very will of Allah, the Holy One, by aiding the enemy in building those blasphemous mobile suits!" _

_This time, Soran reacted. His eyes widened, a childlike expression crossing his face. Those names – those names…_

_The KPSA leader knew all too well, if the leer on his face was of any indication. "It will be a glorious moment for you, boy. You will be the one to end their suffering. It is you who will set them on the rightful path." _

_"They don't know that what they're doing is wrong," Soran said quietly. "If you would let me talk to them first…"_

"_Do not speak back to me, boy!" The man spat, his pudgy face reddening in fury. "You will carry out this mission in God's will, and God will not accept your failure in this! Do you understand?" _

_Soran watched the man's spittle fly, felt the dusty desert air tickle his throat. The helplessness was suffocating him. The young boy felt trapped, his heart pounding wildly with mixed emotions at the answer he was about to give. _

_There was no way he would defy God. _

"…_Yes." _

_The man watched, satisfied, as Soran Ibrahim set out to kill his parents._

* * *

Setsuna snapped his eyes open, blinking several times at the bright fluorescent light that hit him. He was in the hospital, not in Krugis – the air here was sterile and smelled like antibiotics, not like a warzone in the Middle East.

"Setsuna?" Neil asked, a cup of coffee in his hands. "You okay?"

Setsuna gave a brief nod in response. Allelujah and Marie were dozing off not too far away, leaning against each other for support. Tieria wasn't sleeping – he was typing rapidly on his laptop, garnet eyes skimming and comprehending data quicker than any other normal human could.

They had spent as much time as they could in the hospital. Sometimes it was Setsuna and Neil, sometimes it was Allelujah and Marie – and at times, Tieria stood in for all of them, when everyone else needed their sleep. Even when visiting hours were over, someone was always outside Feldt's room. They had told the doctors and nurses that Feldt was a close friend of theirs and that they couldn't bear being away from her, but there was a more important reason.

No one knew what Ribbons would do from now onwards. Although Tieria's theory was that Ribbons wouldn't kill Feldt in an injured state as it wouldn't be as satisfying, none of them wanted to take the chance. The more they watched out for the pink-haired girl, the safer it would be for her.

"Was it a dream?" Neil asked quietly.

Although the Irishman had known Setsuna for quite a few years, there were still many things about the middle-Eastern that he didn't know about. The truth was that while Neil trusted Setsuna and Tieria, he didn't know much about their pasts. There just never seemed to be a need to discuss about things like these.

Neil remembered when he had first met Setsuna, and then Tieria. Ah, the good old days, indeed _– _perhaps he would have the chance to tell Feldt about it someday.

"No. Just a flashback."

"Seemed like a bad one," Neil commented. When Setsuna cast a sharp glance at him, the Irishman held his hands up in defense. "Sorry, didn't mean to pry."

Everyone had their own secrets, Neil decided – he had his own, too. Would there be a day where everyone here could openly share their darkest fears and pasts with each other? Would things possibly be better if everyone knew more about each other? Perhaps. Even someone like Feldt had her own past – Neil knew that much. Still, the priority now was to perhaps head for somewhere safe before they deciding what to do about Ribbons.

The secrets could stay buried a little longer. Neil could only hope that they wouldn't complicate things further when they were revealed.

The truth was, after all, never pretty.

* * *

Feldt woke up to sunlight streaming into her room. It shone over the bright-colored flowers that Allelujah had placed in a little plastic vase, casting shadows onto the table. When she had asked him about Marie, he had smiled kindly and told her not to worry about it. Recovery, Allelulah mentioned, was of utmost importance at the moment.

And Feldt _did_ begin recovering.

She sat up, feeling better than she had in days. Her head still throbbed at intervals, but the doctor had said that the stitches could be taken out soon _–_ a piece of news that had made Feldt smile. It was about time – the white, unblemished hospital walls were starting to grate on her nerves.

"Morning, Feldt," Neil said. He walked in along with the rest of the crew – Feldt could see that despite the cheeriness in his voice, there were dark circles under his eyes. The same could be said for the rest of them – had they not been getting enough sleep? Was something happening that she hadn't been aware about?

"Is Ribbons making a move?" Feldt asked before she could stop herself. "Is everything okay?"

Neil laughed. "Slow down, slow down. Relax – nothing much has been happening. Same old, really."

"B-but you all look so tired…"

"Whose fault do you think it was?" Tieria asked, his arms folded.

"Shut up, Tieria," Marie and Neil said in unison.

Feldt glanced at Marie, jade eyes widening in surprise. It was the first thing the pink-haired girl had heard Marie say in days. Did that mean that she was forgiven…? No, probably not. Marie wasn't one to hold grudges, but Feldt could still see the stubborn glint in her friend's gold eyes. Marie was still angry – but at the same time, she was beginning to thaw. It was only a matter of time before the silver-haired girl would return to her affectionate, bubbly self.

A nurse walked in, a clipboard in her hands. The group made way for her, watching as she measured Feldt's vitals. "You're doing very well, dear," she said, smiling at Feldt. "The doctor said that those stitches can be taken out tomorrow."

"That's g-great to hear."

The nurse gestured at the window. "Why not go out for a walk in the gardens? It's a beautiful day after all."

"I could?" Feldt asked excitedly. It had been such a long time since she had had a chance to breath in some fresh air.

"Of course. You've got such good friends – they've never left you alone, not even for a second."

"Not for…a second?"

Feldt shot her friends an accusing glance – so that was why they all looked so tired! They must've took turns watching out for her. However, the pinkette felt all warm and fuzzy inside at the same time. _They cared_, she told herself repeatedly. _They really did care…_

"Yes." The nurse bent to Feldt's side and whispered coyly, "Especially that dark-haired boy over there. He never really left – he was always outside your room, you know?"

Feldt's eyes widened, feeling her heart accelerate at this piece of knowledge. Setsuna had stayed – he had watched out for her. The green-eyed girl glanced up shyly, watching as he stared back, impassive as ever.

"Come on," Neil said, "Let's take you out for a walk."

* * *

The garden was even more beautiful than Feldt had imagined. Flowers were blooming at their fullest, scattering the ground with a multitude of colours – inky blues, flaming reds, vibrant yellows. The sun-kissed grass sparkled in the spring air – rich, verdant and very much alive. She took in a deep breath, discovering that there was a sweet scent in the air that was cloy but not overpowering.

"Amazing, huh?" Neil asked, hands in his pockets.

"Y-yeah…"

Feldt wanted to run, jump and frolic on the grass. She wanted to bury her nose into the flowers and laugh herself silly in the sun.

She would have done just that if she weren't having stitches and bandages all over herself, though. Instead, Feldt settled for sitting down on the grass. As if following Feldt's lead, the rest of her friends sat down around her. Tieria was the last to do so – he looked highly uncomfortable, as if the idea of hanging out with nature was not something he could comprehend.

Neil, who had been carrying a bag full of fruits, began distributing them to everyone. Feldt took a particularly rosy apple and bit into it, smiling in contentment at how sweet and crunchy it was.

It was like one of those college picnics she and Marie used to have. Before things had turned so crazy, weekends were lazily spent on the campus gardens. Both of them would share sandwiches, making general small talk and watching other students file past from dorm buildings to the street.

Marie seemed to be thinking of the same thing. The silver-haired girl turned to Feldt, an unreadable look on her face. Feldt fidgeted under Marie's scrutiny, concentrating at the patch of grass in front of her instead. She desperately wanted to talk to her best friend, but it didn't seem right to do so in front of everyone else.

"We should start making plans," Tieria said in a clipped voice, oblivious to the tension between the two girls.

"What do we have to do?" Allelujah asked softly. "It's quite impossible to be in the university anymore, not when you know the real culprit resides there."

"Alle," Marie interrupted. Her voice was firm. "Do you _realize_ the implications of what you're saying? We cannot just drop out of university. We've paid for the courses, we have our lodgings. What will the authorities say? What will our _parents_ say?"

"My parents won't question my choices too much – Hallelujah causes enough chaos as we speak." He frowned all of a sudden, knowing what Marie was worried about. Marie's father, Sergei, was strict on his daughter's education. If he were to find out what she was involved in…

"This was w-why I didn't want you two to find out."

Marie and Allelujah swivelled to look at Feldt, who gazed back sadly at them. Feldt had known all along that she hadn't wanted outsiders to be caught up in this. It was dangerous business.

"Feldt," Marie began sharply, but was quickly cut off by Setsuna instead.

"It is impossible for them to return to their normal lives."

Marie stopped short and Feldt fell silent at Setsuna's bold statement, which was nothing short of the truth. Although everyone probably knew this already, someone still had to be the voice of reason and say it aloud. Feldt shot a grateful look at Setsuna _–_ he had managed to prevent an argument from breaking out_–_ who merely inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. No one else noticed the silent interaction between them.

"Hey now, let's slow down and think about this for a bit," Neil said. "It's impossible for Ribbons to just kill us off like that. Think about it – there are seven of us here. I don't mean to sound like a show-off, but many of us here have quite the reputation. It'd be stupid for him to take any careless actions."

"Indeed," Tieria said stiffly. "We are known amongst many for our achievements – in particular Setsuna and you, Feldt. Lockon here is famed for his intelligence and his way amongst the ladies." At this, Neil laughed – only to earn a glare from the purple-haired man in return. Sitting up straighter, Tieria continued, "Thus, we need not concern ourselves too much about disappearing from university just yet."

What Tieria said made sense, but Feldt just couldn't shake that nagging feeling in her mind – and who could blame her? She had been the one to sustain the most serious injuries so far. "How can I _not_ be concerned, Tieria? Ribbons sent an assassin to kill me just a week or so ago! He'll have his ways of making our deaths seem like an accident, I'm sure you know that."

Marie's eyes widened at that piece of new information – now that was new. Oblivious to Marie's surprise, Feldt continued to speak. "He's unpredictable – we don't even know what that psychopath has is mind. What if he gets us one by one? No one will suspect a thing, and…"

The scenarios came as quickly as she spoke – Feldt could already imagine them truly happening. Images of bloody bodies, bruised and battered, flashed into her mind. Feldt's grotesque imagination frightened her. She wouldn't be able to stand it.

_And if it were to be all because of her…_

Setsuna, still impassive, placed his hand on top of Feldt's. She jumped, startled by the sudden action.

"Calm down." The tone of his voice was strong and commanding. Setsuna's dark eyes bore into hers, his firm gaze of sending a wordless message.

_It wasn't your fault._

Feldt gave him a shaky, appreciative smile in return. She took in a deep breath _–_ Setsuna knew that she was trying to control her emotions, trying to keep the paranoia at bay. The pink-haired girl used a finger to nudge a flower in front of her, gradually relaxing under the calming effect it gave her. He continued observing Feldt silently, noting how childlike she looked. She was now admiring the flowers around her with an adoring smile on her face, thoughts about Ribbons forgotten.

It was strange.

Setsuna had spent most his life in the Middle East, where plants and rain were scarce. As Soran Ibrahim, he was used to the smell of gunpowder, burnt flesh and the powdery scent of rubble. Fighting was something he was used to – blood and destruction had been everyday things to him. When things happened to Setsuna, they _happened_. He rarely reacted, and assumed that that was how others around the world were, too.

In that sense, Setsuna found Feldt strange and fascinating at the same time. She resembled a clean slate, inexperienced in the world's ways and at the new things it brought. Her emotions were wild sometimes, but she knew how to reign them in with some effort. She smiled and gave in to anger just as easily.

It was unpredictable.

"So," Neil said, a smile on his handsome face. "Since the ball's rolling, we might as well get on with it. What should we do from now onwards?"

Tieria snorted in an unsophisticated manner. "The first thing we have to do now is to see how far Ribbons' influence extends."

"He has Billy and Graham on his side," Feldt whispered softly. "C-can't you find out who's involved with Ribbons by going through the university and government records?"

"I will check, but electronic records only go so far. It is difficult to establish one's loyalty by mere machinery alone."

That made sense, of course. Feldt's mind wandered off to other prominent figures in the government, university and military. Who was on Ribbons' side? Just how powerful was Ribbons? Could he even be destroyed? Certainly there must be someone else who could see that something was incredibly wrong – but if there were, they would have been quiet. Underground. Out from reach from any form of communication.

Setsuna was powerful – the mobile suit he had was _powerful_. But even then, Feldt realized that that alone wasn't quite enough to go up against Ribbons and his army. Tieria and Neil were intelligent – but even with them, they needed more. A whole lot more.

"We need allies," Allelujah said, seeming to come to that conclusion as well.

Neil smiled. "I have an idea."

* * *

**I tried doing some stuff from Setsuna's side. It kinda felt...all over the place, and a little forced. Urgh. More of Setsuna, Neil and Tieria's past will be revealed in future chapters. I apologize for any typos/grammar errors in the chapter.  
**

**Please review! I will love you forever.  
**

**- Anne**


	12. Lure

**Lure**

* * *

Feldt absolutely _detested_ stage fright.

How on earth did others handle it without feeling the desperate need to flee and hide? The nervousness was choking her like an iron fist, draining her sanity away. Feldt couldn't really think straight - not with thousands of eyes focused on the stage. She felt like an animal entering the slaughterhouse, or a seafarer walking the plank.

No. _Ohnononono._ She couldn't go up there. Feldt didn't want to. It was impossible – there was no way she could take a stroll on that massive platform, talking and gesturing like some seasoned speaker. She would stutter. She would forget what to say. She would stand there, mouth agape like some tropical fish, and nothing would come out from her. She would mess the entire event up and everything they had hoped for would be over.

Some plan this is, Feldt thought angrily, wiping her sweaty palms over the crisp pencil skirt. This wasn't going to go well. She couldn't – she could _never_ –

"Feldt." The whisper from her side was calm, reassuring. "You'll be fine."

"How can I be fine," she hissed in reply, "when the entire world is going to be watching me? They'll be looking out for any mistakes I make! It's going to be a nightmare!"

There was a comforting pat on her back. "I know, I know – it's unnerving, isn't it?"

"_Unnerving _is an understatement, Neil."

"Alright then, I suppose it's terrifying."

Feldt merely shuddered in response.

"You won't be alone," Neil said soothingly. "We're here. If something happens, we'll get you out of there. I'll help, and so will Tieria. Besides, Setsuna would protect you."

Despite the anxiety, hearing Setsuna's name brought a familiar warmth to Feldt's heart. She willed herself to think of nothing else but Setsuna. Setsuna, with his russet-colored eyes; Setsuna, who had saved her life on more occasions than she could count; Setsuna, who comforted her with minimal words and gestures -

Neil took a quick peek out of the curtains. "It's time."

Feldt was grim. "Yes, it is."

"Good luck, Feldt."

"Thanks." She plastered what she hoped was a natural smile on her face and took a deep, steady breath. "Let's do this."

* * *

_"You have an idea?" Tieria asked venomously._

_"Yep," Neil said, a jovial smile still on his face. "The main issue now is to figure out how much influence Ribbons has over the government, right? Since loyalty towards a person or cause can't be determined by electronic records alone, this means that Tieria – our best hacker here – is at a disadvantage."_

_Tieria glowered.  
_

_Neil ignored him and said, "Which means that we have no choice but to find out by talking to them."  
_

_"I don't think walking up and asking 'Hey, are you loyal to Ribbons and his little army of murderers?' would work," Marie said slowly.  
_

_Allelujah, however, looked thoughtful. "We'd have to worm this sort of information out in the most subtle way possible – probably at a major event where we could question the higher-ups and their motives without attracting too much attention."_

_Neil beamed, satisfied that Allelujah was catching on quickly._

_"An event?" Feldt asked. "But we don't have an…" Just then, her eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Oh…are you meaning the…"_

_There was a quick nod from Neil in response - and that was when Feldt knew.  
_

_The Earth Sphere Federation University was a university that prided itself in showcasing the talents and skills of its students. Its yearly University Festival involved talks and demonstrations of outstanding breakthroughs from students of all departments, no matter how flamboyant or outlandish they could be. Government officials and world leaders were always present, scouting out new discoveries that could benefit them.  
_

_Feldt's mind was spinning. She understood just how much weight the University Festival carried across the world. Only the brightest students with the most potential had the chance to show the world what they had. It was a chance which everyone would die to have._

_Tieria narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you proposing?"_

_"I suggest that Feldt and Setsuna present their discoveries to the world," Neil said.  
_

_There was a moment of silence, then –_

_"No. Absolutely not!"_

_"Neil, you have to understand that a lot of this is supposed to be classified information."_

_"We're only offering ourselves to the Union to be slaughtered! Is that part of your brilliant idea?"_

_Neil sighed. He had expected this. "Calm down. I haven't finished."_

_"What's there to finish?" Tieria snarled, throwing Neil a dirty look. "I knew I would be surprised, but this was not what I had in mind!"_

_"Wait, Tieria, just hear me out – "_

_"We are in a desperate situation, Lockon Stratos, and this was the best you could come up with?" Tieria asked, his voice scathing. "This idea of yours is clearly..."_

_"Let him explain."_

_The purple-haired man stopped short. Setsuna was sending Tieria a gaze so harsh that even he backed down, a silent curse on his lips. It wasn't often that Setsuna asserted his opinions.  
_

_"Thanks," Neil said gratefully, and Setsuna gave a nod in response. "Seriously, though, please listen to what I have to say. When I mentioned presenting Feldt and Setsuna's discoveries, I didn't mean every single one."_

_Not every single one? What? Feldt was more lost than ever. Neil, however, responded to the pink-haired girl's unasked question with a triumphant smirk._

_"We're going to bait the world in…and see where it stands."_

* * *

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for coming. My name is Feldt Grace – this is my partner, Setsuna F. Seiei." At this, Feldt graciously gestured towards the dark-haired man by her side. "We are both from the Earth Sphere Federation University's robotics engineering division."

Green eyes scanned the audience beneath her, observing them from what little lighting there was. Some of them were attentive; others impatient and expectant. There were also at least a dozen broadcasters streaming the event live, their recording devices whirring and clicking. Good - that meant everything said tonight would be heard by the world. The green-eyed girl felt shaky, still, but at the very least she had not fainted of stage fright.

Just then, Setsuna caught her eye. He wasn't smiling in encouragement, but those dark eyes were ablaze with faith and trust.

_He believed in her._

"Tonight," she said, "we will show you something that would change your life."

* * *

_"You want me to talk about the Flag coding I programmed?" Feldt asked incredulously. "Well, it was supposed to be a military secret."_

_Neil didn't seem fazed. "Ah, but the citizens have a right to know what the military is dealing with. If the government has nothing to hide, transparency shouldn't be an issue. "_

_Feldt was ecstatic. "This means they have no right to stop me from presenting my findings at the festival!"_

_"Exactly!"_

_"The government may insist secrecy in order to protect its citizens," Setsuna stated flatly. "Revealing excess information may result in the opposite effect of war-fanatics out there triggering a war."  
_

_Trust Setsuna to point out a loophole, Feldt thought, her excitement dying away._

_"Well, there are countries and organizations out there determined to tear the Earth Sphere Federation apart. Terrorists and madmen - the usual." Marie's tone was brusque. "Although the Union and the A-Laws are a joint force, there's been a revolution springing from the Middle East that's been giving them trouble. It started out with a couple of factions – all with different motives, apparently."_

_At one point, Marie, who was unfamiliar with the workings of mobile suits, had not participated in the conversation. However, now she spoke with such sharp conviction that everyone paused to look at her._

_"Where did you hear that from?" Neil asked carefully._

_She shrugged. "It's not that big of a secret, that's all."_

_"Information like this was never released to the press. How can you be so certain about it?"_

_Feldt glanced up, alarmed. She had no idea how, but all of a sudden the gazes towards Marie had changed. __The atmosphere around them was tense. __Neil spoke politely, but it had lost its warmth. Setsuna's eyes, on the other hand, were filled with cold calculation. Feldt didn't understand this sudden hostility. Had Marie done something wrong that Feldt wasn't aware of?  
_

_"Stop it." Allelujah was immediately by Marie's side, his arms protectively around her. "She's not a spy."_

_"Then how is it that she seems to know things that only government officials know about?"_

_The normally docile man's eyes narrowed, and his grip on Marie tightened. "There are reasons. Whatever she learned about was not by choice."_

_"Allelujah, it's alright." Marie swept some hair away from her face, looking resigned. "It was only a matter of time before everyone had to know."_

_Feldt shuddered. Apparently she hadn't been the only one keeping secrets from others. It was strange - she and Marie had been friends for years and yet they knew so little about each other. "Know what?"_

_"About my father." At this, Marie frowned. "You see, he is…from the A-Laws."_

* * *

"From the dawn and evolution of humanity, we have adapted and treated technology as a part of us, integrating it into our very own lifestyles. A few centuries ago, the concept of mobile suits was dismissed as an idea that could only be used in fiction. However, that soon changed." The fear dissipated as Feldt spoke. "Mankind took a large step forwards when Aeolia Schenberg developed the first generation of mobile suits."

She waved a hand and the hologram of a mobile suit bloomed into appearance, its dull edges flickering in the light.

"This is a VMS-15 Union Realdo, a first generation mobile suit," Feldt said softly. "Up until today, we have been seeing a lot of this in the skies. It has truly been a capable unit with its 20mm machine gun, defence rod, linear rifle, and sonic blade." At Feldt's words, each part of the image flashed in correspondence. "However…what I present to you next…is something that will put this to shame."

The crowd tittered excitedly at Feldt's bold statement, their voices raising in volume.

_"What else_ _could put something as advanced as this to shame? The Union Realdo is a beauty!"_

"_She's only a little girl!"_

"_Why hasn't the man next to her done anything yet?" _

Feldt wished they had a little more patience. Were these people sitting before her honestly government officials, men from the highest of ranks? How did they even ascend to such positions when they were so rude?

It was then when the pink-haired girl spotted a familiar face at the front row. There was barely any lighting amongst the guests, but Feldt would never forget that despicable face. Ribbons Almark was smirking up at her deviously, his arms folded.

That…that…that _bastard!_

Feldt forced herself to continue smiling, irritated that she felt so much anger for him. Of course Ribbons would be here. Of course. He was the Proctor – an event of such importance would definitely require his attendance. As much as Feldt wanted to hop off the stage and give him a piece of her mind, now was not the time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…the SVMS-01 Union Flag."

Feldt watched the holographic image spring to life and heard the crowd gasp in amazement. The pink-haired girl began her explanations on the Flag's programming, detailing on how some tweaks could allow better functioning of its systems. Even though her work was far from perfect in comparison to Setsuna's, it was still a milestone of advancement. The navy mobile suit was much slimmer compared to its predecessor, its lighter frame structure giving it a sleek appearance.

Feldt fought the overwhelming feeling of pride within herself – this was what she had worked on for so long. The death of her parents had killed Feldt inside, but it had thrown her into a legacy that connected her to reality. In the end, though, Feldt knew who she truly relied on. Weeks ago, Setsuna was nothing more than a role model who she could never approach.

_Now they were in this together._

Finishing up, she said, "If you all were impressed, then you truly must listen to what Setsuna has to say."

The gazes shifted to the sturdy man with dark hair, taking in his calm expression and confident posture. Feldt had done her part, and now it was his turn.

Setsuna met Ribbons' gaze squarely before he began.

* * *

_"You want him to talk about the GN particles?" Tieria exclaimed furiously. "That is exactly the sort of thing we have to avoid! Having Feldt up there is more than enough. We don't want to be revealing all the aces up our sleeves."_

_"There's no point in hiding it," Feldt said with a sigh. "They already know."_

_It was true. Things had taken a turn for the worse when she and Setsuna had flown in his mobile suit, and that was when the pink-haired girl witnessed Setsuna's true capabilities. It had been him who had eliminated their pursuers, sliced and shot through their suits with skills unrivalled to even most military pilots –_

_"The GN particles were dispersed long enough for it to be recorded and transmitted," Setsuna said._

_Tieria, who had been opposing Neil's plans up until now, looked thoughtful. The base would have recorded everything down – it was probably stored in a high-security database away from prying eyes. Most of the time evidences were a burden, but if they wanted to play a manipulative game of psychology, then evidences could be used against the enemies themselves.  
_

_The hacker smiled in satisfaction. Perhaps something good would come out of this ridiculous situation after all._

* * *

"What I discovered," Setsuna intoned, "has no name for itself. It does not speak, nor does it have a mind on its own. However, it is powerful - powerful beyond anything that you could ever imagine."

Feldt tried her best not to feel uneasy. Under that polished façade of hers, the green-eyed girl was beginning to panic. It was just her nature to worry.

_Deep breaths. Deeeeeeep breaths.  
_

The lights around her dimmed even further and a sudden hush fell. Shimmering green particles seemed to float around the stage, sparkling with an indecipherable beauty. There were inaudible gasps, widened eyes, and excited whispers. The people couldn't experiencing what Feldt and Setsuna had been through since it was merely a display, but Feldt could tell that they were captivated by the ethereal scene.

"It is this," Setsuna said vaguely, "that will change the world."

* * *

_"How many know about the GN particles?" Tieria asked, a calculating glint in his garnet eyes._

_Setsuna seemed to contemplate the question. "Very few. I was asked to hush it up."_

_"Indeed. If Ribbons is interested in keeping this a secret, it must mean that he wants to avoid unnecessary problems."_

_Problems? What problems? __Feldt was confused. __She cast the purple-haired man a questioning look, surprised to see a small smile on his face.  
_

_"If we can move the people, then we can move mountains."_

* * *

The green particles disappeared just as quickly as it came. Feldt watched the crowd titter in disappointment, wondering what would happen if they had been exposed to genuine GN particles. Thousands of minds, thousands of voices blended together – perhaps it would have been easier to just thrust everyone into it and see what came out of their minds. Still, there would be too many of them - deciphering the thoughts of every single person would be impossible.

"A few weeks ago, Ms. Grace and I were testing a mobile suit with this new source when we were attacked."

There was a low whirr and the display sprang into life, featuring the footage that Tieria had obtained after some skilled hacking. Feldt stared at the crowd resolutely, knowing that night would never escape her mind. The sensations were still clear to her – the fear, the nausea, the way her heart ached when she held Setsuna's hand...

Setsuna continued speaking, revealing everything that had happened. Feldt hadn't understood why it was necessary, but now she did. If you wanted to find out where the individuals stood, you had to tell them the truth.

"We, as civilians, were hunted down – pursued relentlessly by forces we suspected were from the government," Setsuna said tonelessly.

_Multi-coloured lights that flashed from the mobile suit's dashboard, indicating figures too complicated for the normal human mind...  
_

"We had no choice but to fight back - to which we were forced into hiding for quite some time, for fear of our lives."

_The sensation of spinning in the air, unsure which was the right way up…_

"We had a lot of questions, but there were no answers."

_The fear that clawed at her heart - twisting, burning..._

"The two of us have been attacked once, and we could easily have been killed," Feldt said stepping up to Setsuna's side. She felt her hand brush his, felt the tingles that went up her spine. Perhaps her words were going to come out too forceful, but she didn't care. "The world has been involved in far too many mobile suit wars, but do we know the true hows and whys behind it? We continue inventing, marching forward with each passing year. We move on and advance, not stopping once to look back on what our creations have done. Progress is making us lose our humanity with it - now your life can easily be taken away for merely knowing _far too much_."

"We have the technology, but we don't know what they are for. If they merely were for defence, then why the secrecy?" Setsuna spoke quietly, but everyone heard. "We were to be silenced, for perhaps our work was meant to be a secret – but when there are secrets, there will also be abuse."

Silenced, Feldt thought, fighting back tears. Her parents had been killed by Ribbons – but why? Were they killed in a fight with him, or were they...silenced? Silenced, just like how Feldt herself was to be? It was a new possibility, one that she had never explored.

Setsuna discreetly twined his fingers around hers and she relaxed at his touch, resisting the urge to lean into him right there and then. He spoke once more, words ringing in the air.

"Perhaps the question we should ask ourselves now is this - have we forgotten the value of life?"

A moment of stillness. And then...

_...the thunderous uproar began._

* * *

**Please review. I'd appreciate it. **

**Confused? To be honest, so am I. To clarify a little, the chapter swings between the past and present, showing what happens in the festival thingy and how they came up with their plan some time ago. Before any sci-fi experts come at me with a hammer, we're in the timeline where Flags are still epic (think of Season One, Ep One) and where GN-powered mobile suits are still unheard of. Setsuna's mobile suit in this story will be the first one to be GN-powered. I'm basically starting them off from scratch. As you can tell, this will probably be a long story.  
**

**As for the philosophy? I have no idea where that came from. I had a lot of trouble with the entire chapter, to be honest, and have a baaaad headache now. ._. I apologize for any awkward phrases or forced interpretations.  
**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope all of you stick with me for what's to come.  
**

**- Anne**


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